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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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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: drill · fork · patient · mine · stick · calf · tube · root

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. drill — army training
  4. tube — a container
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. root — of a plant
  7. tube — the underground
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. root — of a word
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. fork — in a road
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. root — the cause
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mine — for digging
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. drill — a practice
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fork — to eat with

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