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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. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. bore — to drill
  3. cold — an illness
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bulb — for light
  8. ground — the earth
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bore — to tire
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bulb — for light
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ground — a position
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cold — not warm

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