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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. board — a committee
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hand — help
  7. pit — in a race
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. board — to get on
  16. wax — to grow
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. board — a flat piece

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