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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · last · shower · patient · race · bore · can · plane

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. race — the arms race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. can — to be able to
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — to tire
  10. shower — to wash
  11. last — final
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. can — a tin
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to drill
  16. last — finally
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. can — a tin
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. last — to go on
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — an aircraft

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