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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: leaves · trunk · object · jam · foot · clip · bass · racket

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. object — to protest
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. clip — for paper
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. bass — the fish
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — an aim
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. object — a thing

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