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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: race · row · craft · toast · patient · cabinet

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. 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. craft — boats
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. craft — a skill
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. race — a contest
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. row — to paddle
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. toast — bread
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. row — a line
  18. 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