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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. staff — employees
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. can — a tin
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. staff — employees
  11. perch — the fish
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. can — a tin
  18. staff — a stick
  19. cap — a hat
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cap — a lid
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — to tire
  24. perch — for a bird

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