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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 116 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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. mark — a trace
  3. clip — for paper
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. clip — to cut
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. clip — a video
  10. scale — size or range
  11. scale — in music
  12. present — a gift
  13. craft — a skill
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — the time now
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. present — there

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