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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. fine — high quality
  4. last — final
  5. land — a country
  6. present — a gift
  7. can — a tin
  8. can — a tin
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bore — to tire
  11. last — finally
  12. fine — all right
  13. present — the time now
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. last — to go on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. bore — to drill
  21. can — to be able to
  22. land — to come down
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bore — gave birth

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