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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. vault — in gymnastics
  4. fine — all right
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. fine — high quality
  8. clip — a video
  9. field — for sport
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. field — a subject
  18. craft — a skill
  19. craft — boats
  20. vault — a safe
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wind — moving air
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — farmland

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