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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 116 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: mate · craft · drill · tear · patient · plane · hide · game

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. plane — a tool
  6. tear — from crying
  7. game — a match
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a friend
  12. craft — a skill
  13. drill — the tool
  14. tear — to rip
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mate — a partner
  20. tear — from crying
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. game — wild animals
  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