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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. mark — a grade
  3. clip — a video
  4. clip — to cut
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bore — to drill
  11. clip — for paper
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. bowl — to roll

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