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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mug — a cup
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. suit — to fit
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mug — a face
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. row — a line
  12. foot — a measure
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — to rob
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. field — for sport
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. field — farmland

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