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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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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: stand · spring · patient · craft · wind · rest · bay · chip

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wind — moving air
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. rest — a break
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. craft — a skill
  10. spring — of water
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. stand — to bear
  17. craft — boats
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spring — the season
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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