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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. race — the arms race
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. race — humankind
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rash — hasty
  8. tear — to rip
  9. rash — a series
  10. tear — from crying
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rule — a law
  16. land — a country
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bore — to tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. land — ground
  22. rule — government
  23. race — a contest
  24. tear — from crying

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