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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — the arms race
  3. vault — a safe
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — humankind
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. chair — a leader

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