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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bore — to tire
  3. current — electric
  4. net — in sport
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. current — happening now
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — to paddle
  12. face — to point toward
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. current — of water
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — for catching
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. row — a line
  22. face — to confront
  23. net — after costs
  24. coach — a trainer

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