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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — music
  4. band — a ring
  5. stand — to bear
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. hand — in cards
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bore — to drill
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hand — help
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rock — a stone

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