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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: wound · plane · arm · clip · net · key · nail · stand

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. clip — a video
  3. wound — an injury
  4. clip — for paper
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. net — after costs
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. key — in music
  16. stand — to bear
  17. wound — an injury
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. net — in sport
  20. clip — to cut
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — the most important part
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. arm — part of the body

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