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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. bass — low music
  5. roll — a list
  6. suit — to fit
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — in cards
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — a cake
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mark — a trace
  14. suit — clothes
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. tube — a container
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. mark — a grade
  21. race — the arms race
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bass — the fish
  24. race — a contest

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