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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: hand · bank · toast · can · fine · clip · arm · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. can — to be able to
  4. fine — all right
  5. bank — for money
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fine — high quality
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mug — a face
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. mug — a cup
  14. toast — bread
  15. can — a tin
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. can — a tin
  24. bank — of a river

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