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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: pass · rash · bat · perch · clip · leaves · lie · nail

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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 — for a hammer
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. clip — a video
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rash — a series
  9. perch — the fish
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rash — hasty
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. clip — for paper
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. lie — to recline
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pass — a permit
  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