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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. clip — a video
  3. craft — boats
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. clip — to cut
  6. current — electric
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. saw — the tool
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. current — happening now
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. craft — a skill
  22. clip — for paper
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. craft — a handicraft

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