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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: sharp · saw · bore · stand · foot · pit · cold · patient

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bore — to drill
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pit — a hole
  7. stand — to bear
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — an illness

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