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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: lash · arm · coach · staff · deal · hand · cabinet · clip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. clip — to cut
  3. staff — a stick
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. staff — employees
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. clip — for paper
  14. hand — help
  15. clip — a video
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. deal — to handle

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