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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: present · bat · leaves · hand · patient · stick · stock · craft

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bat — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. hand — help
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — goods
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. stock — shares
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. present — a gift
  18. craft — boats
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. present — there
  21. present — the time now
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. hand — in cards
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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