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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chip · net · trunk · clip · wound · key · craft · lie

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. key — the most important part
  5. net — after costs
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. clip — a video
  8. lie — to recline
  9. clip — for paper
  10. chip — for betting
  11. key — for a lock
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — for catching
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chip — to eat
  20. clip — to cut
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. wound — an injury
  23. net — in sport
  24. craft — boats

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