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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to drill
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bore — to tire
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. drill — army training
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. deal — to handle
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — the tool
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. drill — a practice
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. mate — to breed

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