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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 120 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 was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. bound — certain
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. squash — the sport
  9. lean — thin
  10. mine — for digging
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. file — a tool
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. squash — to crush
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a document
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. lean — to bend
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bound — tied together
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bore — to tire

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