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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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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: mate · patient · pound · bore · drill · deal · object · file

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. file — a document
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. file — a tool
  5. mate — a partner
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — a weight
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. file — a line of people
  17. object — to protest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mate — a friend
  20. drill — the tool
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mate — to breed
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — to handle

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