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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. craft — boats
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. cue — a signal
  9. court — of a king
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — of law
  12. cue — a hint
  13. wind — moving air
  14. rush — hurry
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cue — for pool
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wind — moving air

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