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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. last — final
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fork — in a road
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. file — a tool
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bore — to tire
  14. last — finally
  15. deal — to handle
  16. file — a line of people
  17. last — to go on
  18. file — a document
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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