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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: trunk · swing · craft · spell · wave · safe · bore · clip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. craft — a skill
  4. clip — to cut
  5. clip — a video
  6. swing — to play on
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. clip — for paper
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. spell — magic
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. swing — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. swing — in golf
  22. craft — boats
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — out of danger

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