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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 120 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. march — music
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. charge — a price
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. charge — electricity
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. race — a contest
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. race — humankind
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. charge — in control
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. race — the arms race
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. craft — boats
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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