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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. roll — a list
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — to recline
  6. clip — a video
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — the animal
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. clip — for paper
  12. craft — boats
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — in football
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. roll — a cake
  18. perch — the fish
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. clip — to cut
  22. craft — a skill
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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