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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: clip · mouse · bay · wound · trunk · net · branch · racket

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. clip — for paper
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. net — after costs
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. branch — a division
  13. clip — a video
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. clip — to cut
  23. wound — an injury
  24. mouse — the animal

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