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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: fork · suit · rest · lash · net · stick · land · patient

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — for catching
  10. land — ground
  11. suit — in cards
  12. land — a country
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. net — after costs
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. land — to come down
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — what's left
  19. fork — in a road
  20. suit — clothes
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — a break
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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