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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bank — of a river
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. clip — for paper
  10. face — to confront
  11. mug — to rob
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. face — part of the head
  14. clip — a video
  15. face — to point toward
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bank — for money
  19. clip — to cut
  20. court — for sport
  21. craft — a skill
  22. court — of law
  23. plane — a tool
  24. mug — a face

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