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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. craft — a handicraft
  2. bound — obliged
  3. craft — a skill
  4. bound — tied together
  5. net — after costs
  6. clip — for paper
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. craft — boats
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. clip — a video
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — in sport
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. net — for catching
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. fan — a supporter
  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