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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 116 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 · bore · stem · cabinet · craft · straw · nail · squash

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. craft — a skill
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bore — to drill
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. squash — to crush
  24. nail — for a hammer

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