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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.

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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. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. hand — in cards
  3. craft — a skill
  4. mate — a partner
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. content — the amount
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. suit — clothes
  9. mate — to breed
  10. suit — to fit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — in cards
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. craft — boats
  16. mate — a friend
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — part of the body

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