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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bore — to drill
  3. fall — the season
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fall — to drop
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — a trace
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. mine — for digging
  24. game — a match

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