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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — for catching
  5. band — a ring
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bore — to drill
  8. board — to get on
  9. net — in sport
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — a country
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. land — to come down
  17. spell — letters
  18. board — a committee
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. spell — magic
  21. net — after costs
  22. band — a music group
  23. land — ground
  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