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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: drill · lie · tube · current · arm · can · race · patient

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. race — humankind
  3. tube — the underground
  4. can — a tin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. current — electric
  8. lie — to recline
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. drill — a practice
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. can — a tin
  13. drill — army training
  14. can — to be able to
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. current — happening now
  18. current — of water
  19. race — the arms race
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. race — a contest
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tube — a container
  24. patient — a sick person

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