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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. swing — to play on
  3. fork — in a road
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. swing — music
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. plane — a tool
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. current — of water
  12. last — finally
  13. current — happening now
  14. bound — certain
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. last — to go on
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bound — tied together
  24. current — electric

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