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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.

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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: fan · arm · object · lie · clip · leaves · fine · sharp

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. clip — to cut
  3. sharp — clever
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. clip — a video
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. clip — for paper
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. lie — to recline
  23. object — a thing
  24. arm — a part of something

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