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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 partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. craft — boats
  7. race — humankind
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — the time now
  19. race — a contest
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. race — the arms race
  24. present — a gift

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