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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.

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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. craft — boats
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. spring — the season
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — a coil
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — for light
  24. deal — an agreement

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