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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. chip — to eat
  3. bulb — for light
  4. land — to come down
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bore — to drill
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. wound — an injury
  9. chip — for betting
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to tire
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. land — ground
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. plane — a tool
  19. land — a country
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wound — an injury
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — a sick person

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