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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 124 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. fine — all right
  3. rash — hasty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. season — of the year
  7. rash — a series
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. shower — rain
  12. race — the arms race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. season — in sport
  20. race — a contest
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. shower — to wash

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