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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: bore · stand · last · patient · squash · ground · mate · staff

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ground — a position
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — a stick
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ground — the earth
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. staff — employees
  9. squash — the sport
  10. stand — to bear
  11. last — to go on
  12. mate — a friend
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. last — final
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — finally
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — employees
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mate — a partner
  24. patient — a sick person

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