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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pop — music
  4. fall — the season
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. stand — to bear
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. mate — a partner
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pop — soda
  18. lie — to recline
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. race — humankind
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  24. pop — to visit

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