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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · bass · band · bore · pound · craft · kick · hand

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. kick — in football
  4. craft — a skill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. hand — in cards
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bore — to tire
  15. craft — boats
  16. bass — low music
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hand — help
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to drill
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a music group

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