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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · mug · temple · wound · craft · snap · pop · capital

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pop — music
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mug — to rob
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a cup
  8. capital — a city
  9. wound — an injury
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. pop — soda
  14. capital — money
  15. craft — boats
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. craft — a skill
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mug — a face
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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