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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. tear — from crying
  6. tear — to rip
  7. race — humankind
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. race — the arms race
  11. fine — high quality
  12. race — a contest
  13. cap — a lid
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cap — a hat
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. tear — from crying
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. nail — for a hammer

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