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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hand · spell · leaves · bark · lash · fork · net · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — in sport
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. hand — help
  10. fork — in a road
  11. net — after costs
  12. spell — magic
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. patient — a sick person

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