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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bore — to tire
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cue — for pool
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a signal
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. cold — an illness
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rash — a series
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cold — not warm
  22. lie — to recline
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. sharp — exactly

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