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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. last — final
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. last — to go on
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fall — the season
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. bear — the animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bear — the animal
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fall — to drop
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. last — finally
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — to drill
  21. lean — thin
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. lean — to bend
  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