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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — to tire
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. fork — in a road
  9. bore — to drill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — for pool
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. mate — to breed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. mate — a friend
  21. drill — army training
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. current — of water

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