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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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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 · object · patient · cabinet · craft · pitcher · rock · stem

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rock — music
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stem — to come from
  7. clip — for paper
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — an aim
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. object — to protest
  24. craft — boats

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