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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: mine · cell · mark · key · mug · clip · craft · calf

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. key — in music
  4. clip — a video
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mug — a face
  9. clip — to cut
  10. mark — a grade
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. mark — a trace
  14. clip — for paper
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. cell — a phone
  18. mug — a cup
  19. key — the most important part
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mug — to rob
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. craft — a skill

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