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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cold — not warm
  4. land — a country
  5. bore — to drill
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. land — ground
  14. bore — to tire
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. cold — an illness
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ruler — for measuring

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