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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: stand · arm · mouse · clip · tear · can · racket · hand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. clip — a video
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hand — in cards
  22. clip — for paper
  23. tear — to rip
  24. racket — for tennis

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