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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. net — for catching
  4. ball — a great time
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — to drill
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ball — a dance
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. band — a music group
  15. bulb — for light
  16. band — a ring
  17. net — in sport
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — an injury
  23. clip — to cut
  24. net — after costs

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