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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. bound — tied together
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cell — in biology
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cell — a phone
  20. tube — the underground
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — obliged
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bound — certain

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