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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: craft · net · prune · march · patient · rest · rule · hide

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  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. net — in sport
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. craft — boats
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rule — government
  10. rest — what's left
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. net — after costs
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rest — a break
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. prune — to trim
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. rule — a law
  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