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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · pop · straw · patient · current · craft · nail · sharp

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. current — of water
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pop — music
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — to visit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. current — electric
  14. current — happening now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pop — soda
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. sharp — clever
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. craft — boats
  24. sharp — exactly

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