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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — to drill
  4. present — there
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — rain
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — to rob
  10. shower — to wash
  11. can — to be able to
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — a gift
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. can — a tin
  21. mug — a cup
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. plane — a 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