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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 116 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. present — there
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. present — the time now
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. row — to paddle
  7. tube — a container
  8. fork — in a road
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. row — a line
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. present — a gift
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. saw — the tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. pitch — completely
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. saw — the tool
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tube — the underground
  24. row — a quarrel

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