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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. saw — the tool
  6. race — a contest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. race — humankind
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. race — the arms race
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bore — to drill
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. chip — to eat
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. chip — for betting
  24. stand — on your feet

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