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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 · fine · nail · hand · arm · tube · leaves · mug

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  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. nail — on a finger
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. hand — in cards
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mug — a face
  7. tube — a container
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fine — high quality
  12. hand — help
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. mug — a cup
  15. clip — a video
  16. fine — all right
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. tube — the underground
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — to rob
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  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