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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rock · cabinet · rush · clip · mouse · chair · kid · hand

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. clip — for paper
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hand — help
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. hand — in cards
  23. rock — music
  24. hand — part of the body

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