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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: kid · bulb · craft · net · clip · trunk · bank · nail

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — after costs
  3. bank — of a river
  4. craft — boats
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. craft — a skill
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. net — for catching
  10. kid — to tease
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — child
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — to cut
  16. net — in sport
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. clip — a video
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. clip — for paper
  22. bank — for money
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bank — for money

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