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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: lie · hide · race · suit · wave · racket · mug · patient

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. race — the arms race
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. lie — to recline
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. suit — in cards
  14. mug — to rob
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. race — humankind
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mug — a cup
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — a contest

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