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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: snap · craft · mouse · patient · firm · band · scale · last

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. last — final
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. band — a music group
  5. firm — decided
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — to go on
  8. firm — steady
  9. snap — to click
  10. craft — boats
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. band — a ring
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. scale — in music
  15. last — finally
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. firm — a company
  18. scale — size or range
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. mouse — for a computer

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