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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. spring — of water
  3. march — the month
  4. spring — a coil
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. march — the month
  12. staff — employees
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. craft — boats
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. staff — employees
  20. craft — a skill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — the season
  23. deal — to handle
  24. jam — in traffic

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