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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 120 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 want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bass — low music
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. prune — to trim
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. board — a committee
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. board — to get on
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. prune — to trim
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tube — the underground
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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