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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. wound — an injury
  14. date — the fruit
  15. snap — to click
  16. fine — high quality
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. fine — all right
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. fork — to eat with

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