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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.

Make a worksheet

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: tube · staff · rash · craft · fork · leaves · date · patient

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. craft — boats
  8. tube — a container
  9. staff — a stick
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. rash — a series
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. tube — the underground
  17. craft — a skill
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. staff — employees
  21. fork — in a road
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. staff — employees
  24. date — on the calendar

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