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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bore — to drill
  4. net — in sport
  5. charge — electricity
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — for catching
  10. clip — for paper
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. foot — a measure
  13. lie — to recline
  14. clip — a video
  15. charge — a price
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. charge — in control
  20. fall — to drop
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — to drop
  23. net — after costs
  24. clip — to cut

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