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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: dip · arm · bowl · bank · staff · cabinet · clip · present

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. present — there
  3. clip — for paper
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. clip — a video
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — employees
  14. present — a gift
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bank — for money
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. clip — to cut

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