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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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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: leaves · swing · kick · clip · stick · object · present · craft

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. clip — a video
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. object — to protest
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. craft — a skill
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — music
  12. craft — boats
  13. swing — in golf
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. object — a thing
  18. present — there
  19. clip — for paper
  20. present — a gift
  21. clip — to cut
  22. object — an aim
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. present — the time now

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