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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 116 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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. craft — boats
  9. fine — high quality
  10. land — ground
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to sink
  13. craft — a skill
  14. land — to come down
  15. kid — to tease
  16. spring — a coil
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. spring — of water
  20. fine — all right
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. land — a country
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. spring — the season

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