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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — clothes
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fine — all right
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. stem — to come from
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — to fit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fine — high quality
  24. bat — in an idiom

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