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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. chest — of your body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. object — to protest
  7. chest — a box
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. present — there
  12. object — a thing
  13. file — a document
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. chest — of your body
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. file — a tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. file — a line of people
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bulb — for light
  24. present — the time now

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