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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 · sharp · roll · land · saw · tear · fine · patient

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fine — all right
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. saw — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. land — a country
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. craft — a skill
  12. roll — a list
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. tear — to rip
  16. saw — the tool
  17. land — ground
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. craft — boats
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. land — to come down
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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