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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 116 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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cap — a hat
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. march — the month
  6. cap — a lid
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. march — the month
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — music
  15. mine — for digging
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fine — all right
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wind — moving air
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bound — certain

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