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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  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. wind — moving air
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — the time now
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. wind — moving air
  8. tube — the underground
  9. present — there
  10. present — a gift
  11. saw — the tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. race — the arms race
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — humankind
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bulb — for light
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. ground — a position
  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