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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: stand · patient · ruler · bowl · lean · fork · date · clip

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. clip — a video
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. clip — to cut
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. clip — for paper
  22. lean — thin
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. stand — to bear

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