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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: patient · craft · band · sharp · present · temple · root · mine

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. present — a gift
  3. craft — boats
  4. mine — for digging
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a music group
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a word
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. band — a ring
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a plant
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. present — there
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. sharp — clever
  24. temple — a place of worship

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