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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.

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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: arm · row · tube · suit · pitcher · lean · clip · mark

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. tube — the underground
  6. mark — a trace
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. tube — a container
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. lean — thin
  12. clip — a video
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. row — to paddle
  16. suit — in cards
  17. mark — a grade
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. lean — to bend
  20. suit — clothes
  21. row — a line
  22. suit — to fit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pitcher — a jug

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