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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. clip — to cut
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. clip — for paper
  12. can — to be able to
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. clip — a video
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — boats
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — to handle

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