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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lean — to bend
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. track — to keep track
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — in biology
  7. wind — moving air
  8. staff — employees
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — in a road
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — to be able to
  14. staff — employees
  15. wind — moving air
  16. track — a path
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — thin
  21. cell — a phone
  22. track — a song
  23. can — a tin
  24. fork — a garden tool

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