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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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. bear — the animal
  4. bulb — for light
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. drill — the tool
  9. clip — to cut
  10. sharp — clever
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — boats
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. drill — army training
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — newspapers

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