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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: patient · rest · stand · fall · race · wake · sharp · drill

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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 — the arms race
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. race — a contest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rest — what's left
  13. fall — to drop
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. drill — army training
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. rest — a break
  19. sharp — clever
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. sharp — exactly
  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