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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: lie · mate · cue · last · bank · craft · stand · clip

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. last — finally
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bank — for money
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — to breed
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — to recline
  10. mate — a partner
  11. craft — a skill
  12. cue — a signal
  13. last — to go on
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. cue — for pool
  18. last — final
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bank — of a river
  22. craft — boats
  23. cue — a hint
  24. clip — a video

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