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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. branch — a division
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. rest — a break
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fork — in a road
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — to tire
  20. foot — a measure
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. rest — what's left
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. cabinet — ministers

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