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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: leaves · pitcher · plane · clip · tear · firm · arm · rash

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — from crying
  13. firm — decided
  14. clip — for paper
  15. tear — from crying
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — a tool
  20. rash — a series
  21. firm — steady
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — on the skin

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