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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 got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. content — the amount
  4. tear — from crying
  5. race — humankind
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. tear — to rip
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. mark — a trace
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. court — of law
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. race — a contest
  22. content — happy
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. court — of a king

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