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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: key · cap · foot · saw · stick · clip · arm · roll

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cap — a hat
  3. roll — a list
  4. saw — the tool
  5. clip — a video
  6. key — in music
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cap — of ice
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. clip — to cut
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. key — the most important part
  14. cap — a lid
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. key — for a lock
  17. roll — a cake
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. clip — for paper
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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