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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. present — the time now
  3. face — to point toward
  4. chip — to eat
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — a gift
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. present — there
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fork — in a road
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. last — final
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. last — to go on
  23. face — to confront
  24. fork — to eat with

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