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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. rest — what's left
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bore — to drill
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bore — to tire
  10. stock — shares
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. rest — a break
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — in sport
  22. stock — goods
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. sharp — with an edge

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