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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.

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: press · patient · calf · mine · bore · row · object · ruler

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. row — a line
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. press — newspapers
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. object — to protest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — to push
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. row — to paddle
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. object — a thing
  23. object — an aim
  24. bore — to tire

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