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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. fork — in a road
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — a stone
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. wind — moving air
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — music
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. can — to be able to
  14. ground — a position
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. toast — bread
  24. ground — crushed

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