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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. firm — decided
  5. bore — to tire
  6. firm — a company
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. last — finally
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — boats
  11. firm — steady
  12. bore — to drill
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. last — final
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. rush — hurry
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — a container
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — a thrill

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