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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: patient · sharp · band · safe · craft · hand · lie · charge

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. craft — boats
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — in cards
  8. band — a music group
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. charge — in control
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lie — to recline
  24. safe — a strongbox

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