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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. ball — a great time
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a hat
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. lie — to recline
  19. capital — a city
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — a lid
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. capital — money
  24. mine — for digging

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