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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
468
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: patient · wound · rush · mug · field · ruler · arm · craft

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. field — for sport
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rush — hurry
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. field — farmland
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mug — to rob
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. mug — a face
  22. field — a subject
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. craft — boats

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