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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 116 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: fan · kick · swing · patient · object · bay · ground · race

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. swing — music
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. object — an aim
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. race — the arms race
  15. swing — to play on
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. object — to protest
  19. race — a contest
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — in football
  22. ground — crushed
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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