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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. root — the cause
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. mate — to breed
  15. row — to paddle
  16. root — of a word
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. squash — to crush
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — a friend
  22. row — a line
  23. bore — to drill
  24. root — of a plant

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