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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — a series
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. kid — child
  21. date — the fruit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. date — on the calendar
  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