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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · patient · wind · fork · nail · bass

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wind — moving air
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. bass — low music
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. fork — in a road
  18. bay — a horse colour

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