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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 124 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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. court — for sport
  3. roll — a cake
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. spring — of water
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. court — of a king
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spring — the season
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — clothes
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. suit — to fit
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — a list
  17. spring — a coil
  18. court — of law
  19. bore — to drill
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. suit — in cards

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