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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. field — farmland
  3. race — a contest
  4. bear — the animal
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — a subject
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. wind — moving air
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pit — in a race
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — for sport
  23. pit — a hole
  24. rock — music

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