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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. craft — boats
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. squash — to crush
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. clip — a video
  14. bass — low music
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. clip — to cut
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bass — the fish
  19. squash — the sport
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. clip — for paper

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