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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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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: tear · clip · mug · craft · calf · foot · pass · bulb

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. mug — to rob
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pass — a permit
  11. clip — to cut
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. craft — a skill
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mug — a face
  18. foot — a measure
  19. tear — from crying
  20. craft — boats
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. clip — a video

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