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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. charge — in control
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. race — the arms race
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. clip — a video
  11. charge — electricity
  12. clip — to cut
  13. lean — thin
  14. mine — for digging
  15. clip — for paper
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. race — a contest
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — a price
  20. bore — to drill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. calf — a young animal

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