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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: patient · hide · bass · stock · bound · snap · mark · clip

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. clip — to cut
  4. bound — tied together
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stock — goods
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. snap — to click
  15. stock — shares
  16. clip — a video
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bound — certain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bass — the fish
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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