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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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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: suit · patient · bank · fork · mate · rock · kick · rash

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mate — to breed
  7. suit — to fit
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. suit — in cards
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — in football
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bank — for money
  16. rock — music
  17. rash — hasty
  18. suit — clothes
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rash — a series
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bank — for money
  24. fork — a garden tool

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