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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: lie · leaves · object · clip · fine · deal · perch · mine

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — a thing
  4. clip — a video
  5. fine — all right
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — for digging
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — to recline
  15. clip — to cut
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. perch — the fish
  18. object — to protest
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. clip — for paper
  24. leaves — to go away

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