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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: row · hand · craft · bowl · chip · can · patient · rush

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — to be able to
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. craft — a skill
  7. chip — for betting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. hand — help
  15. chip — to eat
  16. hand — in cards
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. can — a tin
  20. craft — boats
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. row — a line
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bowl — to roll

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