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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bore — to drill
  7. last — to go on
  8. roll — a list
  9. mate — a partner
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a friend
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — finally
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bore — to tire
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. foot — a measure
  21. last — final
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. craft — boats
  24. roll — a cake

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