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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. clip — a video
  3. spring — a coil
  4. perch — the fish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. key — the most important part
  9. key — in music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. key — for a lock
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. craft — boats
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — for paper
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. craft — a skill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. wind — moving air
  23. spring — of water
  24. craft — a handicraft

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