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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. board — a committee
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fine — high quality
  11. race — a contest
  12. wind — moving air
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wind — moving air
  18. foot — a measure
  19. race — humankind
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — to tire

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