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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: plane · chip · craft · mouse · leaves · drill · lash · clip

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. craft — boats
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. clip — to cut
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. clip — for paper
  9. craft — a skill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. plane — a tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. clip — a video
  15. chip — to eat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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