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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. clip — a video
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. court — of a king
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. court — of law
  7. dip — to sink
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. clip — to cut
  12. plane — a tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. wound — an injury
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bulb — for light
  21. clip — for paper
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bulb — for light
  24. plane — in geometry

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