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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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bass — low music
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rash — hasty
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — a country
  14. cold — not warm
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. land — ground
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. object — an aim
  22. cold — an illness
  23. bass — the fish
  24. object — to protest

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