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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. clip — a video
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. fine — all right
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — boats
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. ball — a great time
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. staff — employees
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. ball — a dance
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. ball — a round shape

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