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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. land — to come down
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — to keep track
  10. land — ground
  11. track — a path
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wax — to grow
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. track — a song
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — to tire
  20. race — humankind
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. race — a contest
  24. fork — a garden tool

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