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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — a friend
  3. bore — to tire
  4. content — the amount
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. content — happy
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. net — for catching
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. lie — to recline
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. stem — to come from
  16. mate — a partner
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — after costs
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bore — to drill
  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