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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: patient · bear · fan · arm · chest · tube · bay · craft

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bear — the animal
  3. tube — the underground
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. craft — a skill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. chest — a box
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — of your body
  12. craft — boats
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tube — a container
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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