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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.

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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: snap · stick · key · patient · clip · bay · file · date

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. file — a tool
  3. snap — to click
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. file — a line of people
  7. clip — for paper
  8. key — in music
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. clip — to cut
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. clip — a video
  24. key — the most important part

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