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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cold — not warm
  8. race — humankind
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. race — a contest
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. race — the arms race
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. can — a tin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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