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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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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: wave · craft · squash · leaves · pitcher · rock · can · clip

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. clip — for paper
  3. craft — boats
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. can — to be able to
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rock — a stone
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. can — a tin
  21. rock — music
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. clip — to cut

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