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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 120 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 · rash · can · sharp · tube · craft · row · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — music
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. tube — the underground
  6. craft — boats
  7. can — a tin
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. row — to paddle
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — a series
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. rock — a stone
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. row — a line
  22. craft — a skill
  23. can — a tin
  24. sharp — clever

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