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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bank — of a river
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — employees
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bank — for money
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. can — to be able to
  11. bat — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. plane — a tool
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. can — a tin
  16. craft — a skill
  17. can — a tin
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bank — for money

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