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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. fine — all right
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bass — the fish
  6. shower — rain
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — low music
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fine — high quality
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. shower — to wash

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