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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — the arms race
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — to cut
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. race — humankind
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. spring — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. wound — an injury
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. race — a contest
  16. clip — for paper
  17. wound — an injury
  18. spring — a coil
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. spring — the season
  23. clip — a video
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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