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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · lie · bore · pound · spell · calf

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. spell — letters
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pound — a weight
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to tire
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. spell — magic
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — to recline

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