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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: craft · fine · stem · sharp · bear · patient · pitcher · wake

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — boats
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fine — all right
  7. craft — a skill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. stem — to come from
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bear — the animal

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