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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bass — low music
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. hand — in cards
  11. plane — a tool
  12. hand — help
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — music
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. sharp — clever
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. patient — a sick person

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