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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. race — humankind
  6. row — a line
  7. band — a music group
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. row — to paddle
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. race — a contest
  13. track — to keep track
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. band — a ring
  19. race — the arms race
  20. track — a path
  21. cap — a hat
  22. track — a song
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. band — a rubber band

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