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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — the tool
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lie — to recline
  8. drill — army training
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. race — humankind
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. spell — a short time
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. spell — letters

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