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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: stand · bay · clip · net · bound · mouse · rock · spell

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bound — certain
  5. clip — for paper
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. bound — tied together
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bound — obliged
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — for catching
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. net — in sport
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. spell — magic
  24. stand — on your feet

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