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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: wake · patient · rock · chest · ground · board · fork · leaves

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. board — a committee
  7. fork — in a road
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ground — the earth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — to get on
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chest — a box
  23. ground — a position
  24. chest — of your body

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