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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. scale — in music
  3. season — of the year
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. drill — the tool
  15. season — in sport
  16. prune — to trim
  17. drill — a practice
  18. chair — a leader
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. scale — size or range
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. patient — a sick person

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