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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: craft · straw · bowl · scale · hand · spell · wound · patient

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. scale — size or range
  3. craft — a skill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. spell — magic
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. spell — a short time
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — in music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — an injury
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — boats
  17. spell — letters
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hand — in cards
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wound — an injury

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