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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 wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. bank — for money
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — a subject
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. sharp — clever
  8. field — farmland
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bank — for money
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. field — for sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. 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