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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 116 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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. can — a tin
  3. fork — in a road
  4. march — the month
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. can — a tin
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. can — to be able to
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. march — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. hand — help
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. march — the month
  21. bat — the animal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. fork — to eat with

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