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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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. current — electric
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. net — in sport
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — of water
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. craft — a skill
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — happening now
  23. plane — a tool
  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