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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: patient · suit · tear · leaves · swing · fork · pit · staff

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tear — from crying
  6. staff — employees
  7. suit — clothes
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — in a road
  11. swing — to play on
  12. staff — a stick
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. suit — in cards
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. swing — music
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pit — in a race
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pit — a hole
  24. swing — in golf

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