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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: arm · dip · plane · fork · perch · fine · rest · patient

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. fine — all right
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fine — high quality
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. perch — the fish
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. arm — part of the body

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