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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 120 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: stem · ground · patient · fork · staff · sharp · bound · lie

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stem — to come from
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bound — obliged
  6. ground — a position
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — a stick
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. staff — employees
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. lie — to recline
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. patient — a sick person

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