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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. drill — a practice
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. drill — army training
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. drill — the tool
  9. bear — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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