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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — a face
  5. pit — in a race
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — a line
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. rush — hurry
  16. charge — a price
  17. toast — bread
  18. charge — electricity
  19. race — the arms race
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. pit — a hole
  22. mug — to rob
  23. row — to paddle
  24. toast — the most admired

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