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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. wake — a trail
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for golf
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chest — of your body
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. rush — hurry
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chest — a box
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — to tire
  21. rest — a break
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chest — of your body

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