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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — to tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a cup
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. kick — in football
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mug — a face

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