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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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. suit — in cards
  5. mug — a cup
  6. suit — to fit
  7. mug — a face
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. race — a contest
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mug — to rob
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. suit — clothes
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a lid
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. race — the arms race
  21. race — humankind
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. cap — of ice

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