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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — to be able to
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. can — a tin
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rule — a law
  11. sharp — clever
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. rule — government
  16. cue — a hint
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a signal
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — in a road
  24. leaves — of a tree

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