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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.

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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. race — humankind
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — of ice
  6. tube — the underground
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tube — a container
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cap — a lid
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. craft — a skill
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. race — a contest
  21. cap — a hat
  22. craft — boats
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — electricity

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