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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. land — to come down
  6. rash — a series
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. rash — hasty
  13. land — a country
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. wake — a trail
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. land — ground
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. vault — a safe
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. chair — to sit on

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