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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 116 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: leaves · staff · nail · patient · season · racket · row · craft

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. staff — employees
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. row — to paddle
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. season — of the year
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. season — in sport
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. craft — a skill
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. row — a line
  21. staff — employees
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. nail — on a finger
  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