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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. fall — the season
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mark — a grade
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. lie — to recline
  13. fall — to drop
  14. squash — the sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bore — to drill

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