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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
468
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: pass · bass · patient · vault · root · clip · craft · hand

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. vault — a safe
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — help
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — of a word
  9. clip — to cut
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bass — low music
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. root — of a plant
  21. craft — boats
  22. clip — a video
  23. clip — for paper
  24. hand — in cards

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