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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — in a road
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — an illness
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — to get on
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. cold — not warm
  14. mate — a friend
  15. board — a committee
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. board — a flat piece

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