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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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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: bore · patient · dip · game · mouse · clip · rock · nail

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. bore — to tire
  3. clip — a video
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. clip — for paper
  7. rock — music
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. rock — a stone
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — a match
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bore — to drill
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. mouse — the animal

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