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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: craft · hand · fall · patient · rush · roll · deal · coach

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. hand — help
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fall — to drop
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. hand — in cards
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. roll — a list

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