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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: bore · key · object · band · chest · stick · patient · mouse

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — an aim
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — a box
  9. key — for a lock
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. key — in music
  14. chest — of your body
  15. object — to protest
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. key — the most important part
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bore — to tire
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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