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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.

Make a worksheet

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: racket · patient · straw · pass · wound · ball · bore · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. bore — to tire
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pass — a permit
  6. hand — help
  7. bore — to drill
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. hand — in cards
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. wound — an injury
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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