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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. cap — a lid
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mug — a cup
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mug — to rob
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. cap — of ice
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cap — a hat
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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