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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 124 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. craft — boats
  2. fall — the season
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. board — to get on
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. fall — to drop
  7. craft — a skill
  8. rock — a stone
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — to drop
  11. firm — steady
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. firm — decided
  15. board — a committee
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — to tease
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — in a race
  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