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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: patient · foot · craft · cabinet · band · vault · rush · content

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. content — the amount
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. craft — boats
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. rush — hurry
  23. vault — a safe
  24. craft — a skill

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