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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 walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. fork — in a road
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. wax — to grow
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bore — to tire
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. file — a document
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bass — low music
  21. file — a tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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