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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 120 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: nail · wake · saw · bore · content · bulb · stand · patient

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — to tire
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bulb — for light
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bore — to drill
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. wake — a trail

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