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

Word bank: jam · kid · bore · toast · nail · pound · date · patient

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bore — to tire
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. kid — child
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. kid — to tease
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. pound — a weight
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. date — the fruit
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — bread

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