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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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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rash — hasty
  4. fork — in a road
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rash — a series
  16. fine — all right
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. rash — on the skin

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