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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: leaves · mine · patient · deal · fan · racket · race · craft

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. race — a contest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. craft — boats
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. race — humankind
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. race — the arms race

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