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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. march — music
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pit — in a race
  12. row — a line
  13. march — the month
  14. march — the month
  15. pit — a hole
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — to tire
  18. content — the amount
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. row — a quarrel

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