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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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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: drill · lash · bore · row · court · current · patient · object

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — of law
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. current — electric
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. object — an aim
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — to tire
  14. row — to paddle
  15. drill — the tool
  16. court — of a king
  17. current — of water
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — to protest
  20. court — for sport
  21. row — a line
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. patient — a sick person

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