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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. The water is too ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cold — not warm
  3. race — the arms race
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. firm — a company
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. firm — decided
  14. cold — an illness
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. race — a contest
  17. firm — steady
  18. race — humankind
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mouse — the animal

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