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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. clip — for paper
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — boats
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. pop — music
  11. shower — rain
  12. pop — soda
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. craft — a skill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. clip — a video
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bulb — for light

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