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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.

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: track · patient · rush · kid · field · plane · file · craft

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. file — a document
  3. file — a tool
  4. track — a song
  5. craft — a skill
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. craft — boats
  8. field — for sport
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. field — farmland
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. kid — child
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. field — a subject
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. plane — a tool
  18. kid — to tease
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rush — hurry
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. rush — a thrill

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