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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — a series
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. wind — moving air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bore — to drill
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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