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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.

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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: craft · hand · roll · clip · deal · saw · pit · bay

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. saw — the tool
  3. hand — in cards
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. pit — in a race
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. craft — boats
  12. clip — a video
  13. roll — a list
  14. clip — to cut
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. clip — for paper
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. roll — a cake
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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