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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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. last — to go on
  4. charge — electricity
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to tire
  8. charge — in control
  9. wax — to grow
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. fork — in a road
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to drill
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. rest — a break
  17. saw — the tool
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — finally
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. last — final
  24. bore — gave birth

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