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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. race — humankind
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — the arms race
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. scale — size or range
  16. race — a contest
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. scale — in music
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a dance

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