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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.

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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: bass · bound · cabinet · mate · patient · roll · rest · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rest — a break
  3. bound — obliged
  4. mate — a friend
  5. craft — a skill
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a cake
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bound — tied together
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. mate — a partner
  20. roll — a list
  21. mate — to breed
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bound — certain
  24. rest — what's left

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