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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: march · pop · craft · clip · cue · rest · trunk · track

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. clip — to cut
  3. cue — for pool
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. track — a song
  6. track — a path
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. cue — a signal
  10. craft — a skill
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rest — what's left
  13. cue — a hint
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — to keep track
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. clip — a video
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. craft — boats
  21. pop — music
  22. pop — to visit
  23. clip — for paper
  24. march — music

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