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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: hide · bank · clip · wave · bat · staff · board · foot

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — a committee
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bank — for money
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. foot — a measure
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — to get on
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. clip — to cut
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. staff — a stick
  17. clip — a video
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. staff — employees
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. hide — animal skin

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