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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — in sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. last — finally
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. kick — in football
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bore — to tire

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