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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: patient · bowl · band · race · saw · object · stick · dip

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. band — a ring
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. race — a contest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. object — to protest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. saw — the tool
  17. object — a thing
  18. dip — to sink
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a music group
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. race — the arms race
  24. object — an aim

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