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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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rash — a series
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. race — the arms race
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. race — a contest
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. race — humankind

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