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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. clip — to cut
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. mate — a friend
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. clip — for paper
  7. face — to confront
  8. craft — a skill
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — after costs
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. mate — a partner
  15. net — for catching
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. clip — a video
  19. craft — boats
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mug — to rob
  22. mate — to breed
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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