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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: mug · craft · cabinet · fall · suit · net · game · patient

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. net — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. suit — clothes
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. game — a match
  12. suit — to fit
  13. game — wild animals
  14. net — after costs
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. fall — the season
  18. craft — a skill
  19. mug — to rob
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — in cards
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a cup

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