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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. wake — a trail
  6. race — humankind
  7. object — to protest
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. squash — the sport
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. object — a thing
  17. roll — a list
  18. object — an aim
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. roll — a cake
  21. race — a contest
  22. wind — moving air
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — before a funeral

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