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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — of the year
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. land — a country
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. season — in sport
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. land — to come down
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. fork — in a road
  15. hand — help
  16. land — ground
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bore — to tire
  24. mark — a trace

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