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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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 — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. degree — temperature
  8. game — a match
  9. degree — an amount
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rock — music
  12. game — wild animals
  13. degree — from a university
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. plane — a tool
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — in geometry
  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