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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.

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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: clip · pop · staff · board · trunk · lash · cabinet · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pop — to visit
  5. staff — employees
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. clip — for paper
  11. board — to get on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. clip — to cut
  14. pop — music
  15. board — a committee
  16. staff — employees
  17. hand — help
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. pop — soda
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. clip — a video
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

Multiple-meaning words list

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

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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