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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bore — to drill
  4. perch — the fish
  5. stand — to bear
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. root — of a word
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. bat — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. root — the cause

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