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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: pass · clip · bowl · lean · craft · can · vault · mine

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. craft — boats
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. clip — for paper
  6. clip — a video
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mine — for digging
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pass — a permit
  18. can — to be able to
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lean — thin
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — a skill
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. can — a tin

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