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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. track — to keep track
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bass — the fish
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bass — low music
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. track — a song
  24. track — a path

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