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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. drill — a practice
  5. scale — in music
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. mug — a cup
  12. drill — army training
  13. lie — to recline
  14. mug — a face
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. race — a contest
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mug — to rob
  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