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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wound — an injury
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a lid
  6. cap — a hat
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cap — of ice
  9. kid — to tease
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. kid — child
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chip — for betting
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bore — to tire
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. season — of the year
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bore — gave birth

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