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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
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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: squash · firm · clip · safe · cap · craft · spring · file

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. spring — of water
  3. clip — to cut
  4. firm — steady
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. clip — for paper
  10. cap — a hat
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — to crush
  14. file — a line of people
  15. firm — decided
  16. clip — a video
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. spring — a coil
  21. firm — a company
  22. craft — boats
  23. file — a tool
  24. spring — the season

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