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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — of the year
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — in sport
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. fine — all right
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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