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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. dip — to sink
  9. capital — money
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. capital — a city
  16. mate — a friend
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — music
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mate — to breed

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