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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 120 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: wound · craft · racket · clip · nail · bulb · fine · bank

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. wound — an injury
  6. clip — a video
  7. bulb — for light
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bank — for money
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fine — all right
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. fine — high quality
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. craft — a skill

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