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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 116 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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pop — soda
  3. swing — music
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pop — to visit
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pop — music
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — a practice
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — a trail
  20. swing — to play on
  21. drill — the tool
  22. drill — army training
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. patient — a sick person

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