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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: object · plane · clip · chair · craft · lash · bore · cell

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  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. plane — a tool
  2. clip — a video
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — to drill
  5. object — to protest
  6. chair — a leader
  7. cell — a phone
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cell — in biology
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to tire
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. object — a thing
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. clip — for paper
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. craft — boats
  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