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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. toast — bread
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mine — for digging
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bore — to tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. saw — the tool
  24. row — to paddle

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