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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 124 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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — to crush
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. shower — to wash
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cell — in biology
  16. bore — to drill
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. cell — a phone

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