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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. key — in music
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — tied together
  13. fork — in a road
  14. suit — clothes
  15. key — the most important part
  16. branch — a division
  17. bound — certain
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. suit — to fit
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. shower — to wash
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bound — obliged
  24. branch — of a tree

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