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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. can — a tin
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kid — to tease
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — a skill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of a king
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. can — a tin
  15. fine — all right
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. kid — child
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — boats
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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