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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 120 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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. row — to paddle
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a line
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. squash — the sport
  15. race — the arms race
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. deal — to handle
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — to crush
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. race — humankind
  24. leaves — of a tree

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