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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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. race — humankind
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. hand — in cards
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. ball — a great time
  13. ball — a dance
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. race — a contest
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. scale — in music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. scale — size or range

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