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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. march — music
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. race — a contest
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. rash — a series
  14. march — the month
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. march — the month
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bear — the animal
  24. kick — in football

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