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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.

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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: game · trunk · clip · foot · craft · cabinet · shower · mouse

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. clip — for paper
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. craft — a skill
  8. foot — a measure
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. craft — boats
  16. game — wild animals
  17. game — a match
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. shower — rain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. clip — to cut
  24. cabinet — ministers

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