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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — a division
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. foot — a measure
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — army training
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — in a road
  21. drill — a practice
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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