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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: nail · staff · deal · lean · clip · dip · craft · lash

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. lean — to rest against
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — to handle
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to bend
  10. craft — a skill
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. clip — for paper
  15. staff — a stick
  16. lean — thin
  17. staff — employees
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. clip — a video
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. craft — boats
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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