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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. squash — to crush
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — in music
  7. fork — in a road
  8. can — a tin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — a phone
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. key — the most important part
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. rock — music
  24. cell — in biology

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