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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: object · nail · clip · board · leaves · snap · dip · date

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — to protest
  6. clip — a video
  7. clip — for paper
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. dip — to sink
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. board — to get on
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. object — an aim
  15. date — the fruit
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. board — a committee
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. snap — to click
  20. object — a thing
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. clip — to cut
  24. date — on the calendar

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