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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mate — to breed
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. mate — a partner
  11. mate — a friend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. deal — to handle
  18. roll — a list
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. land — ground
  24. roll — a cake

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