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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bulb — for light
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. net — after costs
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — for catching
  14. pitch — completely
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. net — in sport
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. saw — the tool
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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