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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. race — the arms race
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — a contest
  5. kid — to tease
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. band — a music group
  8. kid — child
  9. race — humankind
  10. key — the most important part
  11. key — in music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. band — a ring
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — a trail
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. can — to be able to
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. key — for a lock

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