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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
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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: kick · saw · arm · clip · object · scale · wake · craft

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. saw — the tool
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — boats
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. object — an aim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. kick — in football
  14. clip — to cut
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. craft — a skill
  17. scale — in music
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. object — a thing
  21. object — to protest
  22. clip — for paper
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — a trail

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