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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. land — to come down
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — the season
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. land — a country
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — music
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. wound — an injury
  13. race — a contest
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. swing — to play on
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. swing — in golf
  21. fall — to drop
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. land — ground
  24. fall — to drop

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