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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 116 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: firm · mouse · cabinet · clip · rush · wave · staff · trunk

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. staff — employees
  13. clip — for paper
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. firm — decided
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. rush — hurry
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. staff — a stick
  21. clip — a video
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — steady
  24. staff — employees

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