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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: season · fall · patient · mug · charge · bore · root · tube

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. season — of the year
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. mug — a cup
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tube — a container
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. charge — in control
  10. charge — a price
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. root — of a word
  13. charge — electricity
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mug — to rob
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. tube — the underground
  19. season — in sport
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a face
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. tube — in a 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