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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bound — tied together
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. bound — certain
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. root — the cause
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bound — obliged
  13. rush — hurry
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. root — of a plant
  22. root — of a word
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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