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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. pound — a weight
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bear — the animal
  8. stem — to come from
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. fork — in a road
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fine — all right
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. staff — employees
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. staff — employees

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