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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cold — not warm
  10. chip — for betting
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. bore — to drill
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. cold — an illness
  16. bulb — for light
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. bulb — for light
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bore — to tire

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