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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: firm · clip · craft · cue · spring · lie · march · bay

  1. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — a company
  3. march — the month
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. clip — a video
  6. clip — for paper
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — decided
  9. craft — boats
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. craft — a skill
  14. clip — to cut
  15. spring — the season
  16. march — the month
  17. cue — a signal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spring — of water
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lie — to recline
  23. march — music
  24. spring — a coil

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