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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. face — to confront
  3. fork — in a road
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. face — part of the head
  7. rule — a law
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. court — of law
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — of a king
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. rule — government

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