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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. branch — a division
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. snap — to click
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — a path
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. prune — to trim
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. prune — the fruit

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