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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. spell — a short time
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. row — a line
  13. fine — all right
  14. spell — magic
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. bore — to tire
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. mug — a cup
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. spell — letters
  23. rush — hurry
  24. patient — a sick person

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