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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. perch — the fish
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — the cause
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — thin
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rash — a series
  23. root — of a word
  24. lean — to bend

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