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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. chest — of your body
  3. pit — in a race
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pit — a hole
  13. bear — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. branch — a division
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lash — an eyelash

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