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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — a permit
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — to shout
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. fork — in a road
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pass — to succeed

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