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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 120 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. race — a contest
  6. club — a group
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — for golf
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. drill — a practice
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fall — the season
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. race — the arms race
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — army training

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