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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 · tear · sharp · pit · press · patient · toast · clip

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. toast — bread
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pit — a hole
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pit — in a race
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. press — newspapers
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. clip — to cut
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tear — from crying
  19. press — to push
  20. sharp — clever
  21. clip — for paper
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. clip — a video

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