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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rash — hasty
  7. key — for a lock
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. band — a ring
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. bore — to drill
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. key — in music
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rash — a series
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. rush — to hurry

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