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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. chair — a leader
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. lean — to bend
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. kick — in football
  22. lean — thin
  23. clip — a video
  24. fork — in a road

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