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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: nail · mouse · leaves · clip · pit · mate · land · stand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. pit — in a race
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. clip — to cut
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. clip — a video
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pit — a hole
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. mate — a partner
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. land — a country
  21. mate — a friend
  22. clip — for paper
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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