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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 116 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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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 · bowl · pop · bore · rest · rock

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — what's left
  4. bore — to drill
  5. pop — soda
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rock — a stone
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. pop — music
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — to visit
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rest — a break
  18. bore — gave birth

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