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

Word bank: club · kid · swing · patient · race · lie · bay · current

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — humankind
  3. swing — to play on
  4. race — the arms race
  5. current — happening now
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kid — to tease
  14. race — a contest
  15. current — electric
  16. current — of water
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. club — for golf
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. swing — music
  21. kid — child
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. swing — in golf
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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