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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. net — after costs
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — a container
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. bore — to tire
  22. net — in sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pound — a weight

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