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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. present — the time now
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. race — a contest
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. race — the arms race
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. kid — child
  16. current — electric
  17. current — of water
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. current — happening now
  22. present — a gift
  23. race — humankind
  24. patient — a sick person

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