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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · mate · hide · clip · deal · can · leaves · fine

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mate — a friend
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. fine — all right
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. can — to be able to
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — a tin
  18. mate — a partner
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — to breed
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. clip — a video
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. deal — to handle

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