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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: clip · march · fine · present · lash · mouse · game · calf

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. march — the month
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. clip — for paper
  5. fine — all right
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. present — the time now
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. fine — high quality
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. march — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. present — there
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — wild animals
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. clip — a video
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. present — a gift
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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