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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. race — humankind
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. race — a contest
  12. present — the time now
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ball — a dance
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. present — there
  18. race — the arms race
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lean — thin
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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