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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: cell · kick · nail · bear · clip · march · craft · cabinet

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. bear — the animal
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. craft — a skill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. clip — to cut
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. craft — boats
  24. march — music

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