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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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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: snap · cold · pass · club · patient · fine · craft · cue

  1. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. cold — an illness
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. snap — to click
  8. cold — not warm
  9. club — for golf
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. cue — a hint
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cue — a signal
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fine — all right
  20. club — a group
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. cold — the Cold War

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