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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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 handicraft
  3. current — electric
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. craft — boats
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. object — a thing
  14. object — to protest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. current — happening now
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bowl — to roll

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