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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 · present · season · hand · patient · dip · ruler · roll

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. roll — a list
  3. season — of the year
  4. present — the time now
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hand — in cards
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — a gift
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. roll — a cake
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. season — in sport
  23. present — there
  24. hand — help

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