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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 116 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: stock · calf · bore · mine · patient · wave · press · row

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stock — goods
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. press — a publisher
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. stock — shares
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. press — to push
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mine — for digging
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. row — a line
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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