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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: patient · pound · bore · cap · current · lie · rash · content

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. lie — to recline
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. content — the amount
  7. cap — a hat
  8. current — of water
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — a series
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cap — a lid
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. content — happy
  24. cap — of ice

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