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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. craft — boats
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chair — a leader
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. craft — a skill
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. clip — to cut
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. clip — a video

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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