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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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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 · key · stick · clip · bear · foot · spring · craft

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. clip — to cut
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. craft — a skill
  8. clip — a video
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. key — the most important part
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. key — in music
  13. bear — the animal
  14. clip — for paper
  15. bear — the animal
  16. dip — to sink
  17. foot — a measure
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — for a lock
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. craft — boats

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