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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: clip · wound · net · can · bulb · bass · hand · leaves

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. net — after costs
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. clip — for paper
  8. can — a tin
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. can — a tin
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. net — for catching
  16. bulb — for light
  17. hand — help
  18. clip — a video
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the fish
  22. can — to be able to
  23. wound — an injury
  24. clip — to cut

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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