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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
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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: arm · scale · staff · clip · stick · rest · prune · mug

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. clip — to cut
  3. rest — a break
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. rest — what's left
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. staff — employees
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. mug — a cup
  15. staff — a stick
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. scale — size or range
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. prune — to trim
  23. scale — in music
  24. rest — what's left

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