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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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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: degree · fork · season · leaves · bear · rock · snap · patient

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. degree — temperature
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. snap — to click
  7. fork — in a road
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. degree — from a university
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rock — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bear — the animal
  23. degree — an amount
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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