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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: clip · saw · plane · craft · temple · swing · patient · can

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. swing — to play on
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. saw — the tool
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. clip — to cut
  8. clip — a video
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. saw — the tool
  11. can — to be able to
  12. craft — boats
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a skill
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — in golf
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. can — a tin
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. clip — for paper
  23. swing — music
  24. temple — side of the head

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