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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · clip · spell · bear · court · pass · leaves · craft

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. pass — a permit
  3. craft — a skill
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. court — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. craft — boats
  8. court — of a king
  9. clip — a video
  10. bear — the animal
  11. court — of law
  12. bear — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. clip — to cut
  15. spell — magic
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spell — letters
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. clip — for paper
  24. pass — to spend time

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