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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — boats
  4. bear — the animal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. clip — a video
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. clip — for paper
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. chip — to eat
  16. spell — a short time
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — in a race
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. spell — letters
  23. craft — a skill
  24. clip — to cut

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