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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 · spell · lean

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

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. craft — boats
  4. key — in music
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — for paper
  8. lean — thin
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. key — the most important part
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. lean — to bend
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. clip — to cut
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. spell — magic
  24. clip — a video

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