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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. net — in sport
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rest — what's left
  7. net — for catching
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stand — to bear
  23. race — humankind
  24. rest — a break

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