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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. content — the amount
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — help
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. swing — to play on
  11. race — the arms race
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. content — happy
  15. race — a contest
  16. swing — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. hand — in cards

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