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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
468
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: degree · bank · hide · staff · firm · mouse · lash · clip

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. firm — steady
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — employees
  9. clip — to cut
  10. clip — for paper
  11. degree — from a university
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bank — for money
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. clip — a video
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — decided
  24. degree — temperature

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