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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: foot · leaves · clip · perch · nail · lash · craft · row

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. foot — a measure
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. clip — for paper
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. craft — boats
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. craft — a skill
  14. row — to paddle
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. row — a line
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. perch — the fish
  23. clip — a video
  24. nail — for a hammer

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