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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: patient · lean · fork · bound · staff · hide · track · ground

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. track — a path
  3. track — a song
  4. track — to keep track
  5. staff — a stick
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bound — certain
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. staff — employees
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — thin
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. lean — to bend
  18. fork — in a road
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ground — crushed
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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