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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. lean — thin
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. club — for golf
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. fall — the season
  11. pass — a permit
  12. lean — to bend
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. file — a document

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