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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chest — of your body
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. chest — a box
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — the tool
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. roll — a cake
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mark — a trace
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. chest — of your body
  24. roll — a list

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