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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. sharp — clever
  14. shower — to wash
  15. track — to keep track
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — a path
  20. track — a song
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. pass — a permit
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. shower — rain

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