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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. spell — magic
  4. rash — hasty
  5. band — a music group
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. saw — the tool
  8. spell — a short time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rash — a series
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. race — a contest
  15. band — a ring
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pound — a weight
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. spell — letters
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. race — humankind
  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