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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.

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: clip · rush · perch · wound · game · arm · can · fan

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. clip — a video
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. rush — hurry
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. perch — the fish
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. clip — to cut
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — a tin
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. clip — for paper
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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