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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — a signal
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bore — to tire
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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