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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 120 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: prune · spell · tear · current · drill · nail · fork · patient

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. drill — army training
  3. spell — magic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tear — from crying
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. drill — the tool
  10. tear — to rip
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. prune — to trim
  14. fork — in a road
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. drill — a practice
  18. spell — letters
  19. current — of water
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. spell — a short time
  23. prune — to trim
  24. tear — from crying

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