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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: patient · plane · lean · pit · nail · spring · fork · row

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pit — in a race
  6. row — a line
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. spring — of water
  11. lean — thin
  12. spring — a coil
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. spring — the season
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. lean — to bend
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. row — to paddle

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