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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. saw — the tool
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — in control
  15. drill — army training
  16. saw — the tool
  17. toast — bread
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. patient — a sick person

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