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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. dip — to sink
  5. file — a document
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. march — music
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. file — a 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