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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. key — in music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. key — for a lock
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. race — a contest
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rule — a law
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. race — the arms race
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rule — government
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rule — to rule out

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