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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · lie · bass · fork · ball · patient · suit · file

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a great time
  9. file — a document
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bass — the fish
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. suit — to fit
  22. file — a tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. file — a line of people

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