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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — certain
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pitch — completely
  17. rush — hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bound — tied together
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mine — for digging

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