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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: spell · tear · patient · row · kick · track · craft · stand

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. row — to paddle
  4. kick — in football
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — a path
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. spell — magic
  10. craft — a skill
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — from crying
  13. row — a line
  14. tear — to rip
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. spell — letters
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. track — a song
  21. spell — a short time
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stand — to bear
  24. craft — boats

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