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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: current · patient · chest · prune · land · temple · fork · nail

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. current — of water
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — ground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. chest — a box
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. chest — of your body
  9. prune — to trim
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — happening now
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. prune — to trim
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — a country
  20. current — electric
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. fork — in a road
  24. nail — on a finger

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