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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. present — there
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rule — government
  6. staff — employees
  7. present — the time now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. bore — to drill
  13. staff — a stick
  14. spell — a short time
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — a law
  18. race — the arms race
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — a contest
  22. staff — employees
  23. present — a gift
  24. rule — to rule out

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