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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 116 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: charge · wound · shower · ground · fork · saw · spell · patient

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. saw — the tool
  3. ground — crushed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. saw — the tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. ground — a position
  12. spell — a short time
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — in control
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. wound — an injury

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