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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — certain
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. race — humankind
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. track — a song
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — the arms race
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. object — a thing
  13. court — of law
  14. object — to protest
  15. track — a path
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bound — obliged
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — for sport
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. court — of a king

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