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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 120 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 · spring · ground · rush · patient · pit · leaves · deal

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — hurry
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — to handle
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ground — a position
  23. spring — of water
  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