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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: perch · clip · nail · present · wave · net · lean · ground

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — crushed
  4. clip — a video
  5. present — there
  6. perch — the fish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. present — a gift
  10. ground — a position
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. clip — for paper
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. lean — to bend
  15. present — the time now
  16. net — after costs
  17. lean — thin
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. net — in sport
  24. net — for catching

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