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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — a measure
  3. fork — in a road
  4. club — for dancing
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. tube — a container
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — a friend
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — boats
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — a sick person

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