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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. last — finally
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fork — in a road
  13. last — final
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. last — to go on
  17. rock — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rush — hurry
  20. craft — a skill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. patient — a sick person
  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