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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. drill — army training
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — to recline
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mug — a face
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — the tool
  11. fall — to drop
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a cup
  20. bank — for money
  21. perch — the fish
  22. bank — of a river
  23. fall — the season
  24. fork — in a road

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