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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: fork · nail · spell · dip · patient · fall · last · content

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — letters
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. dip — to sink
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — to drop
  12. last — finally
  13. last — to go on
  14. content — happy
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. content — the amount
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. last — final
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. fall — the season

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