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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 124 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.

Make a worksheet

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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wind — moving air
  5. craft — a skill
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wind — moving air
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. date — the fruit
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. can — a tin
  22. craft — boats
  23. mine — for digging
  24. can — to be able to

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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