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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 · stock · patient · plane · rule · snap · bore · hide

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. snap — to click
  5. rule — government
  6. plane — a tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. drill — a practice
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bore — to drill
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stock — shares
  18. drill — army training
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. stock — goods
  24. rule — a law

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