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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pass · ball · cell · craft · fan · spell · hand

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. spell — a short time
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a great time
  7. craft — boats
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. hand — in cards
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hand — help
  23. ball — a dance
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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