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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: toast · snap · bear · fork · rush · patient · kid · key

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. key — in music
  6. kid — child
  7. key — for a lock
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. toast — bread
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to click
  15. key — the most important part
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fork — in a road
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. toast — the most admired

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