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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. kid — to tease
  3. race — a contest
  4. march — music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bore — to drill
  7. march — the month
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — child
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to tire
  24. nail — on a finger

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