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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. scale — size or range
  5. saw — the tool
  6. scale — in music
  7. clip — to cut
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. season — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bank — for money
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. clip — for paper
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bank — for money
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. season — of the year
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rest — what's left
  22. sharp — clever
  23. clip — a video
  24. craft — boats

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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