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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. face — to confront
  9. race — humankind
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — music
  13. face — to point toward
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. march — the month
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bass — the fish
  19. face — part of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. temple — a place of worship

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