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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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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: craft · cell · bear · fork · fine · cabinet · patient · lie

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — high quality
  9. craft — boats
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bear — the animal
  16. craft — a skill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fine — all right
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. cabinet — ministers

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