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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — the amount
  5. craft — a skill
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. hand — help
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. saw — the tool
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — boats
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. content — happy
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — the underground
  24. staff — a stick

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