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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: fan · craft · leaves · hand · bank · arm · patient · net

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bank — for money
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. craft — boats
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. hand — help
  21. bank — of a river
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bank — for money
  24. net — in sport

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