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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. cap — of ice
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. cap — a hat
  6. perch — the fish
  7. season — in sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. rule — a law
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — to shout
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. season — of the year
  18. cap — a lid
  19. rule — government
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. patient — a sick person

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