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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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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: content · lie · snap · craft · bulb · patient · nail · squash

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — a skill
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lie — to recline
  8. squash — to crush
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — for light
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. content — happy
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. squash — the sport
  24. craft — boats

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