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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bass — the fish
  3. scale — size or range
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. scale — in music
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bass — low music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — a skill

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