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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bore — to drill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bear — the animal
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rest — what's left
  7. cue — a signal
  8. tear — to rip
  9. last — final
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — humankind
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. rest — a break
  20. last — finally
  21. tear — from crying
  22. cue — for pool
  23. bore — to tire
  24. last — to go on

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