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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wave · trunk · patient · mine · craft · fine · net · cap

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cap — of ice
  5. mine — for digging
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — high quality
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cap — a hat
  20. net — in sport
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cap — a lid
  24. craft — boats

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