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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: stick · track · shower · straw · band · craft · charge · patient

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. band — a ring
  4. charge — a price
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. track — a path
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. band — a music group
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — to keep track
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. craft — boats
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. charge — electricity
  18. shower — rain
  19. track — a song
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. shower — to wash

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