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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. content — the amount
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fall — to drop
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. content — happy
  12. fall — to drop
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bank — of a river
  18. last — finally
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — the tool
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. fall — the season
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. snap — to click

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