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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 120 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 · sharp · tube · can · patient · lash · rock · leaves

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — to be able to
  4. tube — the underground
  5. craft — a skill
  6. rock — a stone
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. tube — a container
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. craft — boats

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