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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — moving air
  4. band — a music group
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. race — a contest
  7. band — a ring
  8. firm — steady
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. race — the arms race
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. firm — a company
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. firm — decided
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wind — moving air

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