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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. game — a match
  7. clip — a video
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. clip — for paper
  10. clip — to cut
  11. season — in sport
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. season — of the year
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. craft — a skill
  17. foot — a measure
  18. craft — a handicraft

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