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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: kick · race · tear · firm · mouse · patient · land · plane

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. tear — from crying
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — to rip
  7. firm — steady
  8. firm — a company
  9. race — a contest
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. firm — decided
  12. race — the arms race
  13. land — a country
  14. land — ground
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. kick — in football
  17. land — to come down
  18. tear — from crying
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. plane — a tool
  23. race — humankind
  24. kick — a thrill

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