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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — boats
  5. bank — for money
  6. craft — a skill
  7. clip — for paper
  8. last — to go on
  9. clip — to cut
  10. wound — an injury
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. firm — decided
  13. bank — for money
  14. firm — steady
  15. season — of the year
  16. wound — an injury
  17. last — finally
  18. last — final
  19. firm — a company
  20. bank — of a river
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. clip — a video
  24. season — in sport

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