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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. last — finally
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — to go on
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. hand — help
  14. fork — in a road
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. dip — to sink
  18. wake — a trail
  19. last — final
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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