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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. firm — a company
  4. clip — to cut
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. firm — steady
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. squash — the sport
  13. craft — boats
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. can — a tin
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. squash — to crush
  19. sharp — clever
  20. perch — the fish
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. can — to be able to
  24. craft — a skill

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