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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 116 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: tube · fork · chip · patient · fall · cap · suit · bore

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. tube — a container
  3. suit — to fit
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fall — the season
  8. bore — to drill
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. fall — to drop
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. bore — to tire
  21. chip — for betting
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bore — gave birth

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