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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · bulb · staff · clip · arm · kid · mate · can

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. clip — to cut
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. clip — for paper
  5. can — a tin
  6. mate — a friend
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. can — to be able to
  10. clip — a video
  11. mate — a partner
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. kid — child
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — a tin
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. staff — employees

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