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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. row — a line
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. lean — thin
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. plane — a tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — in a road
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lean — to rest against

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