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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — to cut
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — the animal
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bear — the animal
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — hurry
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. clip — for paper
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. clip — a video

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