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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — a committee
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. saw — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — to visit
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — soda
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. saw — the tool

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