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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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Word bank
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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. mate — to breed
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — in music
  9. ball — a great time
  10. race — a contest
  11. race — the arms race
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mate — a partner
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. ball — a dance
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. tube — a container
  21. scale — size or range
  22. race — humankind
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a friend

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