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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. face — to point toward
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — a container
  15. face — part of the head
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pit — a hole
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — to tire
  22. face — to confront
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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