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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. deal — to handle
  5. firm — a company
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. perch — the fish
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. firm — steady
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. stem — to come from
  21. firm — decided
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — in sport
  24. band — a music group

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