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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: staff · net · file · rest · fork · lie · bound · patient

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bound — obliged
  3. staff — employees
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — in sport
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. staff — employees
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bound — tied together
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. file — a tool
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — a stick
  19. file — a document
  20. rest — a break
  21. bound — certain
  22. rest — what's left
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — in a road

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