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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: content · mine · fine · fan · craft · stem · hide · clip

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — all right
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. content — happy
  11. craft — a skill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — for digging
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. clip — a video
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stem — to come from
  21. clip — to cut
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — the amount
  24. clip — for paper

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