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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. lean — thin
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. fine — high quality
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. craft — boats
  12. fine — all right
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. club — for golf
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — for dancing
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. club — a group
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitcher — a jug

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