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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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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: pop · rest · snap · march · present · craft · patient · wound

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. craft — boats
  5. rest — what's left
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — the month
  9. present — the time now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — music
  12. pop — to visit
  13. present — there
  14. present — a gift
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — the month
  18. craft — a skill
  19. snap — to click
  20. rest — a break
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. wound — an injury

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