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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: straw · nail · bear · fork · patient · ruler · kick · plane

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bear — the animal
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — a sick person

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