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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: can · craft · squash · lean · clip · bulb · fine · arm

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — for paper
  3. lean — thin
  4. can — a tin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bulb — for light
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. can — to be able to
  11. craft — boats
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — a video
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — a handicraft

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