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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bass — low music
  9. cap — a hat
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. season — of the year
  14. bass — the fish
  15. cap — a lid
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. season — in sport
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. object — a thing
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pit — in a race
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. object — an aim

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