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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rest — a break
  6. prune — to trim
  7. rash — hasty
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. drill — a practice
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bore — to tire
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — the tool
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. kick — in football
  24. arm — part of the body

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