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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ground — a position
  3. swing — music
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. saw — the tool
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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