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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. fall — the season
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wax — to grow
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. nail — for a hammer

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