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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 120 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 help me carry this box?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — to come down
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. can — a tin
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. clip — a video
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. suit — in cards
  13. clip — for paper
  14. craft — boats
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. suit — clothes
  20. land — ground
  21. clip — to cut
  22. land — a country
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. can — a tin

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