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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: bay · drill · fork · kick · craft · file · bore · patient

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. craft — boats
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — the tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. file — a line of people
  17. craft — a skill
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bore — to drill
  20. file — a document
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. file — a tool

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