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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: pitcher · craft · nail · wake · lie · patient · bass · spell

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — magic
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. spell — letters
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — boats
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — before a funeral

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