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

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — a group
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to drill
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. charge — a price
  14. lean — thin
  15. chest — a box
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. chest — of your body
  18. charge — in control
  19. club — for dancing
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. club — for golf
  24. charge — electricity

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