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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. craft — boats
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. bat — the animal
  18. fine — all right

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