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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: leaves · bark · net · mine · clip · hand · chair · ruler

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. hand — in cards
  2. net — for catching
  3. clip — a video
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. net — in sport
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — after costs
  13. bark — to shout
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chair — a leader
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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