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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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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: row · craft · hide · patient · toast · ruler

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. craft — a skill
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. craft — boats
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — to paddle
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. craft — a handicraft

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