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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to drill
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — the earth
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — of ice
  14. ground — crushed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. cap — a hat
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. dip — to sink
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. present — a gift
  22. current — happening now
  23. present — there
  24. present — the time now

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