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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. rash — a series
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to confront
  7. race — humankind
  8. face — to point toward
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — in a road
  11. race — a contest
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. face — part of the head
  20. saw — the tool
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. race — the arms race
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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