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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 116 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 · face · ground · branch · patient · staff · can · craft

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. clip — a video
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — employees
  9. face — to confront
  10. ground — a position
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. ground — the earth
  14. craft — a skill
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. face — to point toward
  17. clip — for paper
  18. craft — boats
  19. face — part of the head
  20. can — a tin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. can — to be able to
  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