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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 · can · toast · tear · present · stem · patient · bore

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. stem — to come from
  3. present — the time now
  4. tear — from crying
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. present — a gift
  8. tear — to rip
  9. present — there
  10. bore — to drill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. can — a tin
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. can — to be able to
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. drill — army training
  22. can — a tin
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. tear — from crying

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