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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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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: clip · craft · bound · cabinet · rash · present · mate · file

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bound — certain
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rash — a series
  7. file — a line of people
  8. bound — obliged
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bound — tied together
  12. file — a tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — the time now
  15. clip — a video
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — for paper
  18. mate — to breed
  19. present — a gift
  20. clip — to cut
  21. present — there
  22. mate — a friend
  23. craft — boats
  24. file — a document

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