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

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — to breed
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. drill — the tool
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. drill — army training
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. drill — a practice
  14. net — for catching
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. lash — to lash out

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