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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fine — high quality
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. race — the arms race
  8. cell — a phone
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. wake — a trail
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. rock — music
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. race — a contest
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. fine — all right
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. game — a kind of play

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