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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a music group
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. race — a contest
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. race — the arms race
  12. wind — moving air
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. race — humankind
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wind — moving air
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pound — a weight
  21. band — a ring
  22. toast — bread
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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