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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rock — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to tire
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — a stone
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — of a tree

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