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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. cap — of ice
  5. fall — the season
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wound — an injury
  8. tube — a container
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. cap — a hat
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — employees
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fall — to drop
  19. sharp — clever
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cap — a lid
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fall — to drop
  24. wound — an injury

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