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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: plane · snap · arm · clip · net · can

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. clip — for paper
  4. net — after costs
  5. clip — to cut
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. can — to be able to
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — a video
  13. can — a tin
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — a tool

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