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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 · face · shower · row · craft · leaves · rock · ruler

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. row — to paddle
  3. face — part of the head
  4. clip — a video
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. rock — a stone
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. row — a line
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — for paper
  15. craft — a skill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. shower — rain
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to confront
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. face — to point toward
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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