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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. race — humankind
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — the tool
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. race — a contest
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. tube — a container
  18. drill — army training
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. deal — to handle
  22. tube — the underground
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — a sick person

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