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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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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: patient · rule · clip · key · craft · bear

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rule — a law
  4. key — for a lock
  5. clip — for paper
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. clip — to cut
  10. bear — the animal
  11. clip — a video
  12. key — in music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rule — government
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. craft — a skill
  18. rule — to rule out

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