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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: bay · object · fan · craft · cold · sharp · patient · board

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — a committee
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. object — to protest
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — a skill
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. craft — boats
  17. cold — not warm
  18. sharp — clever
  19. object — a thing
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. object — an aim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. fan — a supporter

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