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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: jam · rock · board · patient · fork · mate · temple · fall

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. board — to get on
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. mate — a partner
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — a friend
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. mate — to breed
  16. fork — in a road
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. rock — music
  19. fall — the season
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rock — a stone
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. board — a committee

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