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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — an illness
  3. race — a contest
  4. rule — a law
  5. race — humankind
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. deal — to handle
  9. rule — government
  10. prune — to trim
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wax — to grow
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cold — not warm
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. race — the arms race

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