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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 116 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: rest · clip · saw · craft · leaves · tear · cell · bay

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. tear — to rip
  3. clip — for paper
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. clip — a video
  6. cell — in biology
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cell — a phone
  12. craft — boats
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. rest — what's left
  15. clip — to cut
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. craft — a skill
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rest — a break
  21. saw — the tool
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rest — what's left

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