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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: ruler · arm · present · date · leaves · wake · clip · hand

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. clip — to cut
  3. present — there
  4. clip — a video
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. clip — for paper
  7. present — the time now
  8. wake — a trail
  9. present — a gift
  10. date — the fruit
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. hand — help
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. ruler — for measuring

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