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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.

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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 · plane · snap · prune · craft · wave · racket · staff

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. clip — for paper
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. clip — a video
  9. staff — a stick
  10. staff — employees
  11. craft — boats
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. staff — employees
  15. plane — a tool
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. snap — to click
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a skill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. clip — to cut

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