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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. stock — shares
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in biology
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. clip — to cut
  8. can — a tin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bear — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. craft — boats
  18. can — a tin
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. clip — a video
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. stock — goods
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. can — to be able to

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