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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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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: club · patient · wind · temple · wake · track · fork · hand

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. hand — in cards
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — a song
  18. club — for dancing
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wind — moving air
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. hand — help
  24. wake — before a funeral

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