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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: mouse · clip · board · roll · cap · temple · rule · leaves

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. clip — to cut
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. rule — government
  8. clip — a video
  9. cap — of ice
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a hat
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. roll — a cake
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. board — to get on
  21. clip — for paper
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. board — a committee
  24. mouse — the animal

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