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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: sharp · calf · game · clip · craft · bulb · cap · fall

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. craft — boats
  3. game — a match
  4. cap — a lid
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. clip — for paper
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. fall — the season
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bulb — for light
  15. cap — a hat
  16. clip — to cut
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. craft — a skill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. sharp — clever
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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