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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. march — music
  4. track — a path
  5. staff — employees
  6. chest — of your body
  7. staff — employees
  8. bore — to drill
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — a song
  17. wound — an injury
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. chest — of your body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. march — the month

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