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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.

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: bank · leaves · clip · drill · mate · kick · lie · hand

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. clip — for paper
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. kick — in football
  6. clip — a video
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. lie — to recline
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. drill — the tool
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. drill — army training
  18. hand — help
  19. bank — for money
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hand — in cards

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