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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. band — a ring
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. kick — in football
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bear — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fork — in a road
  16. rock — music
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. kick — with a leg

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