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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 120 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: rest · fine · mouse · leaves · clip · ball · object · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fine — all right
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. clip — a video
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ball — a dance
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. object — a thing
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. object — to protest

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