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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: hide · bass · clip · fall · bear · nail · fork · patient

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bass — the fish
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — the season
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. clip — a video
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — in a road
  13. clip — for paper
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. clip — to cut
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bass — low music
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bear — the animal

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