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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. march — the month
  3. race — the arms race
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bound — obliged
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. snap — to click
  12. race — a contest
  13. bound — tied together
  14. march — music
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bound — certain
  17. wind — moving air
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. race — humankind
  22. fine — high quality
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. march — the month

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