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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: cap · pound · patient · coach · lean · wind · arm · fork

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. fork — in a road
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lean — thin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. pound — a weight
  19. wind — moving air
  20. cap — of ice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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