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

Word bank: bore · fork · kick · patient · clip · arm · stick · bear

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. clip — a video
  6. fork — in a road
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bore — to drill
  17. clip — to cut
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — in football
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bear — to put up with

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