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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 120 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: mate · calf · mark · deal · rush · mouse · patient · bore

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — to tire
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — to drill

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