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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mine — for digging
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mark — a grade
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bore — to tire
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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