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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: foot · staff · key · snap · clip · lash · cabinet · spring

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — to cut
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. snap — to click
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. staff — a stick
  12. spring — the season
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — in music
  17. clip — a video
  18. key — the most important part
  19. spring — of water
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. staff — employees
  23. key — for a lock
  24. spring — a coil

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