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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a handicraft
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. tube — the underground
  6. craft — boats
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. fine — all right
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. saw — the tool
  12. craft — a skill
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. cue — for pool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — not warm
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cold — an illness
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. fine — high quality
  24. tube — a container

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