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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. bear — the animal
  3. date — the fruit
  4. row — to paddle
  5. craft — boats
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. clip — a video
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pop — music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bulb — for light
  15. clip — to cut
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pop — to visit
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — soda
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bulb — for light

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