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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 116 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: snap · board · net · wound · clip · craft · rock · root

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. wound — an injury
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — in sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. board — a committee
  10. root — the cause
  11. clip — a video
  12. rock — a stone
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. snap — to click
  15. wound — an injury
  16. board — to get on
  17. net — after costs
  18. root — of a word
  19. clip — to cut
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. root — of a plant
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. net — for catching
  24. rock — music

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