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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: stick · calf · hand · hide · track · fork · rest · patient

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hand — help
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fork — in a road
  19. track — a song
  20. track — a path
  21. rest — a break
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. rest — what's left

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