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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: lash · stand · patient · craft · can · file · ball · bass

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. can — a tin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. file — a document
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. file — a line of people
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — to bear
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. file — a tool
  15. bass — the fish
  16. ball — a great time
  17. can — to be able to
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. can — a tin
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. bass — low music
  24. stand — for spectators

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