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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. rest — what's left
  4. clip — to cut
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. chest — a box
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. rest — what's left
  11. clip — for paper
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chest — of your body
  15. rest — a break
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. clip — a video
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lean — thin
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. lean — to bend

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