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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. band — a music group
  6. band — a ring
  7. rock — a stone
  8. craft — a skill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — in a road
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — to tease
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rock — music
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. craft — boats
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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