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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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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: hide · board · staff · patient · track · arm · fork · wake

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. board — to get on
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. staff — employees
  15. board — a committee
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. staff — a stick
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — a trail
  20. track — to keep track
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — in a road
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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