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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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · wake · pit · hide · roll · bear · bore · patient

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bore — to tire
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pit — a hole
  10. roll — a cake
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wake — a trail
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. roll — a list
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bear — to put up with

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