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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spell — a short time
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bank — of a river
  12. spell — letters
  13. bank — for money
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. spell — magic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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