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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. current — happening now
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. degree — an amount
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. current — electric
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bear — the animal
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — of water

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