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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 116 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: patient · rock · wave · deal · bat · bear · craft · calf

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rock — a stone
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. rock — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. craft — boats
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. craft — a skill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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