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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. race — humankind
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. race — a contest
  16. bore — to tire
  17. race — the arms race
  18. stock — shares
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. net — for catching
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rush — hurry

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