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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · staff · march · clip · craft · can · sharp · key

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. march — the month
  3. staff — a stick
  4. key — for a lock
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. march — music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. can — a tin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. can — a tin
  11. clip — a video
  12. craft — boats
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — for paper
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. march — the month
  18. key — in music
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — employees
  21. clip — to cut
  22. key — the most important part
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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