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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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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: fork · pound · hide · rush · suit · band · foot · patient

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  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. band — a music group
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. suit — clothes
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. band — a ring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. suit — to fit
  12. rush — hurry
  13. suit — in cards
  14. fork — in a road
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  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