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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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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: stand · lie · mine · plane · patient · race · land · ruler

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. land — ground
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. land — to come down
  14. lie — to recline
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. land — a country
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — humankind

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