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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.

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: mate · spring · craft · stick · fall · pitcher · clip · mug

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. mug — to rob
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. craft — boats
  9. fall — to drop
  10. craft — a skill
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mate — a partner
  13. clip — to cut
  14. mug — a face
  15. spring — the season
  16. mug — a cup
  17. spring — of water
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. clip — a video
  21. mate — a friend
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spring — a coil

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