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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 120 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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bound — obliged
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. stem — to come from
  10. race — a contest
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bound — tied together
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. clip — a video
  19. tube — a container
  20. clip — for paper
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. clip — to cut
  23. race — humankind
  24. bound — certain

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