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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. race — the arms race
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. clip — to cut
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — a contest
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. clip — a video
  16. saw — the tool
  17. clip — for paper
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. race — humankind
  24. pass — to spend time

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