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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. suit — in cards
  3. ground — crushed
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — to fit
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. content — happy
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — to handle
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. ground — the earth
  17. content — the amount
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. straw — dry grass

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