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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
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: fine · capital · calf · mine · wake · rock · craft · patient

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. wake — a trail
  3. mine — for digging
  4. craft — a skill
  5. rock — music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. capital — a city
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. fine — all right
  15. capital — money
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fine — high quality
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wake — before a funeral

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