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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — a hole
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pit — in a race
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. present — a gift
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. current — electric
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. present — there
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. current — of water
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. present — the time now
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. current — happening now
  24. fork — a garden tool

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