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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 120 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. present — there
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. present — the time now
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. race — humankind
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — to recline
  18. race — a contest
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. race — the arms race

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