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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 120 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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. net — in sport
  12. fork — in a road
  13. deal — to handle
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. net — for catching
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — a big deal

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