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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. key — in music
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. race — humankind
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. tear — from crying
  10. key — for a lock
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. swing — in golf
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. key — the most important part
  21. tear — from crying
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. swing — music
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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