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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. clip — for paper
  3. mate — to breed
  4. craft — a skill
  5. clip — to cut
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mate — a friend
  8. track — to keep track
  9. content — happy
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mate — a partner
  12. lean — to bend
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — a video
  15. lean — thin
  16. track — a path
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. track — a song
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — the amount
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rock — music
  24. content — videos and posts

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