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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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. firm — a company
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. race — humankind
  6. shower — rain
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — a contest
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. firm — decided
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — to wash
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — steady
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. fall — the season
  24. race — the arms race

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