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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.

Make a worksheet

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: foot · spring · bark · mug · craft · patient · wound · wave

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. spring — the season
  5. craft — boats
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. spring — a coil
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. foot — a measure
  13. craft — a skill
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. spring — of water
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. mug — to rob
  22. wound — an injury
  23. foot — the bottom
  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