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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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 drill
  3. last — final
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. last — finally
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — to trim
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spell — magic
  13. rest — a break
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. spell — letters
  18. lie — to recline
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. last — to go on
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bore — to tire

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