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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: pop · perch · lash · court · date · clip · craft · safe

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. craft — boats
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. date — the fruit
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. court — of a king
  7. pop — music
  8. clip — for paper
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. pop — to visit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. clip — a video
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. perch — the fish
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. pop — soda
  23. craft — a skill
  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