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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.

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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. net — in sport
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. race — a contest
  11. wind — moving air
  12. race — the arms race
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. race — humankind
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. ruler — a monarch

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