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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. chair — to sit on
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — a leader
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bore — to drill
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. dip — to sink
  19. kid — to tease
  20. band — a music group
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  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