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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.

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: craft · bound · fork · fan · board · cold · bore · patient

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bound — tied together
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. craft — boats
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. craft — a skill
  13. board — to get on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cold — not warm
  17. bound — obliged
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bound — certain
  20. cold — an illness
  21. board — a committee
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fork — to eat with

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