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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. race — humankind
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. mark — a trace
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rush — hurry
  16. game — wild animals
  17. can — a tin
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. race — a contest
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. race — the arms race
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. game — a match

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