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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. key — in music
  9. clip — to cut
  10. key — for a lock
  11. craft — a skill
  12. clip — a video
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. pass — a permit
  16. clip — for paper
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. snap — to click
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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