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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. rock — a stone
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. file — a line of people
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — a contest
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. race — the arms race
  12. face — to point toward
  13. rock — music
  14. ground — the earth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. face — to confront
  19. file — a document
  20. race — humankind
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. file — a tool
  23. face — part of the head
  24. patient — a sick person

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