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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 116 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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. current — happening now
  3. mine — for digging
  4. current — electric
  5. stock — goods
  6. bore — to tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. current — of water
  14. fall — the season
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rest — what's left
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stock — shares
  21. rest — a break
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. calf — a young animal

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