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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. object — to protest
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. clip — a video
  5. craft — a skill
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. craft — boats
  8. object — an aim
  9. clip — to cut
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. clip — for paper
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — a leader
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. object — a thing
  20. bulb — for light
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bulb — for light
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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