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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. last — finally
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — of law
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. court — of a king
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lie — to recline
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. court — for sport
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. bore — to drill
  24. safe — a strongbox

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