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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: sharp · fork · root · kick · lie · patient · bear · staff

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. staff — employees
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — clever
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — the cause
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. staff — employees
  16. bear — the animal
  17. root — of a word
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. kick — in football
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — in a road
  24. lie — an untruth

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