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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 120 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. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. degree — an amount
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — army training
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. degree — from a university
  16. wax — to grow
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. drill — the tool
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. kick — in football

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