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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. current — of water
  7. fine — all right
  8. bore — to drill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. squash — the sport
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. fine — high quality
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. current — electric
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. current — happening now
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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