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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. land — a country
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — ground
  8. rock — a stone
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. fork — in a road
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. pit — in a race
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bear — the animal
  18. pit — a hole
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — music
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. bear — the animal

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