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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: clip · mouse · wake · nail · club · arm · coach · degree

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. clip — a video
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. club — for golf
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. clip — to cut
  9. club — for dancing
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. wake — a trail
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. degree — an amount
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — temperature
  24. arm — part of the body

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