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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
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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: mouse · leaves · net · lash · lean · row · ground · clip

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. clip — a video
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — for paper
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. ground — the earth
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. net — after costs
  14. row — to paddle
  15. ground — a position
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. lean — to bend
  19. net — for catching
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. net — in sport
  22. lean — thin
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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