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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: spell · fan · net · bore · foot · clip · cue · ground

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. cue — a signal
  3. net — for catching
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — crushed
  7. foot — a measure
  8. cue — for pool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — letters
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. net — after costs
  13. clip — to cut
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a hint
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. clip — for paper
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to drill
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. net — in sport
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. fan — to cool the air

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