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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 120 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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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: stick · tear · clip · pitch · content · craft · fall · rush

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. clip — a video
  3. fall — the season
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — hurry
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — completely
  15. tear — from crying
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. craft — boats
  18. fall — to drop
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. fall — to drop
  22. content — happy
  23. tear — to rip
  24. craft — a skill

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