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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · clip · court · tube · bear · leaves · wound · plane

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. clip — a video
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — to cut
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wound — an injury
  13. tube — the underground
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bear — the animal
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bear — the animal
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. wave — of the sea

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