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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. perch — the fish
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bulb — for light
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mug — a face
  15. race — the arms race
  16. cold — not warm
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. race — a contest
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ground — the earth
  23. bulb — for light
  24. ground — crushed

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