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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — a series
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mate — a friend
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. patient — a sick person

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