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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 · swing · bowl · foot · rest · bear · cabinet · staff

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — a stick
  6. rest — what's left
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. clip — to cut
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — a break
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. clip — a video
  20. swing — music
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — for paper
  24. cabinet — ministers

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