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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: game · saw · suit · row · patient · bore · arm · rush

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bore — to tire
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. game — wild animals
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rush — hurry
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. row — to paddle
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. saw — the tool
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. suit — in cards
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. suit — to fit
  24. game — a match

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