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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: nail · present · bore · mouse · patient · bat · clip · lash

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. present — the time now
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bore — to drill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. clip — to cut
  13. present — there
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bat — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. clip — for paper
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. clip — a video
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bore — gave birth

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