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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. content — the amount
  11. mark — a grade
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. content — happy
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bass — low music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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