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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — a skill
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — a container
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. shower — to wash
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. craft — boats
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. shower — rain
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. rock — music

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