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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 · mine · craft · hide · ruler · patient · snap · wax

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  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. snap — to snap out of it
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. craft — boats
  14. craft — a skill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. wax — to grow
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. snap — to click
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. saw — the tool
  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