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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 · lean · bear · craft · net · patient · can · mate

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — a skill
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — a partner
  16. clip — to cut
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — thin
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — after costs
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mate — a friend
  23. clip — a video
  24. patient — a sick person

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