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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. object — to protest
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. drill — the tool
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to drill
  13. object — an aim
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. object — a thing
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — a division

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