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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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. rule — government
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. can — a tin
  7. plane — a tool
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. craft — a skill
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. rule — a law
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. perch — the fish
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. craft — boats

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