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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. track — to keep track
  4. fall — the season
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. track — a path
  7. track — a song
  8. season — of the year
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — humankind
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — in sport
  24. leaves — lets stay

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