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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: race · rock · mouse · kick · season · mine · saw · patient

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — a stone
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — in football
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. season — in sport
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. mine — for digging
  22. race — the arms race
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. race — a contest

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