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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: mark · nail · bowl · clip · toast · patient · pound · spring

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — the season
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. pound — a weight
  24. clip — to cut

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