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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — there
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. craft — a skill
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. present — the time now
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. craft — boats
  17. key — the most important part
  18. present — a gift

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