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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 120 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: mouse · clip · hand · dip · arm · bowl · rest · key

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. dip — to sink
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — the most important part
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. clip — for paper
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. clip — to cut
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. key — in music
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. key — for a lock
  19. clip — a video
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — a break

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