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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. kid — child
  4. rule — a law
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. present — the time now
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rule — government
  10. present — a gift
  11. clip — a video
  12. present — there
  13. bank — of a river
  14. craft — boats
  15. bank — for money
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — to cut
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mug — a cup
  23. clip — for paper
  24. kid — to tease

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