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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 116 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: object · drill · present · tear · degree · patient · rest · fork

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. object — to protest
  3. drill — a practice
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. rest — a break
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — an aim
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rest — what's left
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — the time now
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fork — in a road
  16. present — there
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. tear — to rip
  20. drill — army training
  21. object — a thing
  22. degree — temperature
  23. tear — from crying
  24. present — a gift

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