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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 · tube · mug · cabinet · rock · land · patient · sharp

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mug — a cup
  8. craft — a skill
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rock — a stone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. rock — music
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. land — to come down
  16. tube — the underground
  17. sharp — clever
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. land — ground
  20. mug — a face
  21. land — a country
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. craft — boats

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