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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fall — to drop
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mate — a friend
  10. land — to come down
  11. land — ground
  12. sharp — clever
  13. chip — for betting
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. fall — the season
  16. cue — a hint
  17. land — a country
  18. cue — a signal
  19. mate — a partner
  20. race — a contest
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fall — to drop
  24. chip — to eat

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