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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 124 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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. roll — a list
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — in a race
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. tube — a container
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pit — a hole
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wound — an injury

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