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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. last — to go on
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. last — final
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. net — in sport
  9. suit — to fit
  10. chair — a leader
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. suit — in cards
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. net — after costs
  21. last — finally
  22. net — for catching
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. saw — the tool

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