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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. firm — steady
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. race — humankind
  10. race — a contest
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. tube — a container
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. tube — the underground
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. saw — the tool
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. race — the arms race
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mouse — for a computer

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