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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — of the year
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bore — to drill
  5. mug — a cup
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bass — the fish
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. bass — low music
  14. mug — a face
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fine — all right
  18. swing — to play on
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. patient — a sick person

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