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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. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. clip — a video
  3. mine — for digging
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. press — a publisher
  11. clip — for paper
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — boats
  17. cue — for pool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. wake — a trail
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. press — to push
  24. mine — belonging to me

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