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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. fine — all right
  8. march — the month
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. foot — a measure
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. face — part of the head
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. march — music
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to drill
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. face — to confront
  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