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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. spell — letters
  13. hand — help
  14. bear — the animal
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — in music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. patient — a sick person

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