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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: cell · clip · dip · board · season · bank · mug · deal

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mug — a cup
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — to get on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bank — for money
  11. cell — in biology
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bank — of a river
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. season — in sport
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. mug — a face
  18. season — of the year
  19. deal — to handle
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. bank — for money
  24. deal — an agreement

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