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

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — for sport
  4. rule — a law
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rule — government
  14. field — a subject
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. field — farmland
  18. bank — for money
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bank — for money
  23. rest — a break
  24. bank — of a river

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