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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. can — to be able to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. track — a song
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. can — a tin
  10. race — the arms race
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. track — a path
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. can — a tin
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. mate — a partner
  19. track — to keep track
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mate — to breed
  22. race — humankind
  23. mate — a friend
  24. nail — for a hammer

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