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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. bore — to drill
  3. board — to get on
  4. current — of water
  5. chest — of your body
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. land — ground
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. current — electric
  12. fine — all right
  13. cue — a hint
  14. land — to come down
  15. land — a country
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. chest — a box
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — of your body
  22. current — happening now
  23. fine — high quality
  24. patient — a sick person

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