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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. current — happening now
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — a cup
  5. rush — hurry
  6. tube — the underground
  7. race — a contest
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. current — electric
  11. row — a line
  12. can — to be able to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. current — of water
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. tube — a container
  17. mug — to rob
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mug — a face
  20. row — to paddle
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. can — a tin

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