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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fan · rule · patient · cabinet · craft · wind

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — boats
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. craft — a skill
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rule — government
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. fan — a supporter

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