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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 120 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. race — the arms race
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — money
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — a contest
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. suit — in cards
  11. fall — to drop
  12. ground — a position
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. race — humankind
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. pass — a permit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. capital — a city
  24. fall — the season

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