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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 120 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: fall · patient · sharp · chair · club · craft · wound · wax

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. club — for golf
  3. craft — a skill
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fall — the season
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fall — to drop
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. club — a group
  15. wax — to grow
  16. chair — a leader
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. craft — a handicraft

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