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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — a practice
  3. craft — a skill
  4. row — a line
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fall — the season
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. spell — a short time
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. march — the month
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. march — the month
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pass — a permit

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