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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: present · suit · chair · craft · clip · snap · ball · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — boats
  6. clip — for paper
  7. snap — to click
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — to breed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ball — a dance
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. present — a gift
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. present — there
  17. mate — a friend
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. clip — a video
  20. chair — a leader
  21. clip — to cut
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ball — a great time

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