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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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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: object · craft · bear · cabinet · patient · race · kid · pass

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. You can't go backstage without 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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. craft — boats
  3. craft — a skill
  4. race — the arms race
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. race — a contest
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. kid — to tease
  10. object — a thing
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. object — an aim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — humankind
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. pass — a permit
  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