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

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. land — to come down
  3. bore — to drill
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. hand — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. land — ground

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