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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. root — the cause
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. root — of a word
  10. mine — for digging
  11. race — humankind
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. charge — electricity
  14. charge — in control
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. charge — a price
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. root — of a plant

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