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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. mug — to rob
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — a contest
  12. mug — a face
  13. land — to come down
  14. pound — a weight
  15. race — the arms race
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. land — a country
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. race — humankind
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mate — a friend
  24. chair — a leader

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