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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — thin
  12. game — a match
  13. fork — in a road
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pass — a permit
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. drill — the 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