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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bass — the fish
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — low music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. last — finally
  24. mine — for digging

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