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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: nail · trunk · net · clip · suit · cell · bass · mark

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — the fish
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. clip — to cut
  11. suit — clothes
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. cell — a phone
  15. suit — in cards
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bass — low music
  20. mark — a grade
  21. suit — to fit
  22. cell — in biology
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a trace

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