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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. tube — the underground
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. current — happening now
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. tube — a container
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to drill
  19. mine — for digging
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. current — electric
  24. staff — a stick

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