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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — a contest
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — obliged
  6. race — the arms race
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mark — a trace
  12. kid — child
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. kid — to tease
  18. drill — the tool
  19. race — humankind
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. drill — army training
  22. lean — to bend
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lean — thin

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