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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. race — humankind
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. face — to confront
  11. snap — to click
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. race — the arms race
  18. face — part of the head
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — low music
  21. race — a contest
  22. bass — the fish
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. face — to point toward

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