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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
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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 · saw · hand · land · spell · fine · patient

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. mug — to rob
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mug — a cup
  5. land — a country
  6. land — to come down
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. land — ground
  10. hand — in cards
  11. fine — all right
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. craft — a skill
  16. mug — a face
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — a short time
  21. spell — letters
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fine — high quality

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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