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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: present · nail · stand · patient · craft · shower · club · wound

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. shower — rain
  3. present — a gift
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. wound — an injury
  11. wound — an injury
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. shower — to wash
  16. craft — boats
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. club — a group
  22. craft — a skill
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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