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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — child
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. race — a contest
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — a short time
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. race — humankind
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. kid — to tease
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — magic
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. spell — letters

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