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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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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. firm — steady
  4. prune — to trim
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wind — moving air
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — a contest
  10. spell — a short time
  11. race — humankind
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. firm — a company
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. firm — decided
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bore — to drill
  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