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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. shower — to wash
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. shower — rain
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a path
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — a song
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tube — a container
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — of the year
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bore — to tire
  18. last — finally
  19. snap — to click
  20. last — final
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. last — to go on
  23. track — to keep track
  24. season — to add flavour

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