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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. last — to go on
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — a weight
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. court — of law
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. court — of a king
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. last — final
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pit — in a race
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bore — to tire
  20. court — for sport
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — a hole
  23. last — finally
  24. stem — a stem cell

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