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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. press — newspapers
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. cold — an illness
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. clip — for paper
  9. bear — the animal
  10. press — to push
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cold — not warm
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — boats
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — to be able to
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bear — the animal
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. dip — to sink
  24. clip — a video

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