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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
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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 · row · bass · bank · wind · patient · saw · season

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. bank — of a river
  3. saw — the tool
  4. row — a line
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. row — to paddle
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. bank — for money
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bass — the fish
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bank — for money
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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