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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: nail · bore · hide · patient · season · bass · row · spell

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — of the year
  4. bass — the fish
  5. spell — letters
  6. bore — to drill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — to tire
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — a line
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. spell — a short time
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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