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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 116 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — the tool
  6. firm — a company
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. race — the arms race
  12. saw — the tool
  13. snap — to click
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. firm — steady
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. firm — decided

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