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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. chair — a leader
  5. tube — the underground
  6. perch — the fish
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. fine — high quality
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fine — all right
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pass — to succeed
  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