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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. row — a line
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bore — to tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. bore — to drill
  11. track — a song
  12. chest — of your body
  13. chest — a box
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. drill — the tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — a path
  23. chest — of your body
  24. row — to paddle

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