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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rest — what's left
  6. mate — to breed
  7. scale — size or range
  8. bore — to drill
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mate — a partner
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rest — a break
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. mate — a friend
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. kid — child
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. kid — to tease
  23. mouse — the animal
  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