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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: season · mark · craft · can · patient · wake · snap · drill

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mark — a trace
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. drill — a practice
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. craft — boats
  11. drill — the tool
  12. mark — a grade
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. can — a tin
  20. wake — a trail
  21. craft — a skill
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. can — to be able to
  24. season — in sport

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