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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fork — in a road
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. march — the month
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. current — happening now
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bound — certain
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. march — the month
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. current — of water
  20. march — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — electric
  24. bound — obliged

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