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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cap — a lid
  12. cap — of ice
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. cap — a hat
  17. date — the fruit
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. craft — a skill
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bay — a horse colour

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