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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: clip · bear · row · bore · net · leaves · suit · perch

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. net — in sport
  3. clip — a video
  4. row — a line
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — after costs
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bore — to drill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. perch — the fish
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bore — to tire
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — in cards
  24. clip — to cut

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