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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 124 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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bore — to drill
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. board — to get on
  12. bat — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. cold — not warm
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — a break
  24. bore — gave birth

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