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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 · tube · kick · cabinet · suit · patient · arm · band

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — boats
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. tube — a container
  13. suit — in cards
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. kick — in football
  18. tube — the underground
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. suit — to fit
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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