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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. game — a match
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. craft — boats
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — hurry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. clip — a video
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. game — wild animals
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. plane — a tool

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