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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bore — to tire
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. file — a document
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. degree — an amount
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. can — a tin
  20. degree — temperature
  21. file — a tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — a garden tool

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