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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.

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: stock · craft · chest · plane · cap · foot · clip · patient

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. clip — to cut
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a hat
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. plane — a tool
  11. cap — a lid
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — of your body
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — for paper
  16. chest — a box
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cap — of ice
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. craft — boats
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. clip — a video

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