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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: kick · bore · plane · tear · content · chip · patient · pit

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. kick — in football
  3. tear — from crying
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — to eat
  9. pit — in a race
  10. tear — to rip
  11. plane — a tool
  12. chip — for betting
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pit — a hole
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. plane — in geometry

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