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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: season · scale · snap · sharp · patient · fall · craft · rule

  1. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fall — the season
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — in sport
  10. sharp — clever
  11. rule — government
  12. craft — boats
  13. craft — a skill
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. rule — a law
  17. snap — to click
  18. scale — in music
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. season — of the year

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