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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 120 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. present — the time now
  3. face — to confront
  4. track — a path
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. face — to point toward
  7. track — to keep track
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — a gift
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the fish
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bass — low music
  19. pound — a weight
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. present — there
  24. track — a song

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