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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — a position
  5. can — a tin
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — boats
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. can — to be able to
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. cap — a lid
  20. ground — crushed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cap — of ice
  23. rush — hurry
  24. patient — a sick person

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