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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — obliged
  4. clip — a video
  5. bound — tied together
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. current — electric
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. clip — to cut
  13. bass — low music
  14. current — of water
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bass — the fish
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — happening now

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