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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.

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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: saw · race · patient · bank · craft · nail · hide · present

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. saw — the tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. craft — boats
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bank — for money
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. craft — a skill
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — the arms race
  19. present — there
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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