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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. race — the arms race
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. tear — from crying
  8. row — to paddle
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rule — government
  14. row — a line
  15. mate — a friend
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — part of the head
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. race — a contest
  21. tear — to rip
  22. race — humankind
  23. rule — a law
  24. face — to confront

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