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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. wind — moving air
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a great time
  23. hand — help
  24. hand — part of the body

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