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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · clip · lie · fine · pop · rush · jam · staff

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. clip — a video
  3. pop — to visit
  4. clip — for paper
  5. staff — a stick
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fine — high quality
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pop — soda
  16. lie — to recline
  17. rush — hurry
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. clip — to cut
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. pop — music
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — employees
  24. fine — all right

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com