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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fine — all right
  5. lie — to recline
  6. race — humankind
  7. race — a contest
  8. season — in sport
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ground — crushed
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. craft — boats
  18. season — of the year
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. race — the arms race
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — high quality

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