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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — a video
  4. race — humankind
  5. saw — the tool
  6. clip — to cut
  7. drill — the tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. drill — army training
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — the arms race
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — for paper
  18. ground — a position
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. drill — a practice
  24. patient — a sick person

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