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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. staff — a stick
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. staff — employees
  7. race — a contest
  8. spring — of water
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — a tool
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. snap — to click
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. race — the arms race
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. spring — the season
  18. stock — goods
  19. spring — a coil
  20. stock — shares
  21. race — humankind
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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