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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 120 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.

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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 · game · sharp · branch · plane · ruler · nail · patient

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. branch — a division
  3. sharp — clever
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. craft — boats
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — a skill
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. plane — a tool
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — an aircraft

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