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

Word bank: cold · patient · racket · dip · bound · wind · safe · race

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  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. cold — an illness
  2. bound — certain
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bound — tied together
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. race — humankind
  7. cold — not warm
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. dip — to sink
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wind — moving air
  16. race — the arms race
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. wind — to turn a key
  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