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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: roll · last · clip · bore · mug · arm · bank · pit

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. pit — in a race
  3. roll — a list
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — final
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. clip — to cut
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bank — for money
  13. clip — for paper
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pit — a hole
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. clip — a video
  24. arm — 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