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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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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: rock · fall · nail · patient · saw · dip · jam · ground

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. fall — to drop
  4. saw — the tool
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. ground — a position
  12. dip — to sink
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fall — the season
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. fall — to drop
  24. rock — music

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