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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. present — a gift
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. swing — music
  5. rock — a stone
  6. fall — to drop
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. can — a tin
  11. present — there
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — the time now
  14. fall — the season
  15. rock — music
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lie — to recline
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. fall — to drop
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. lash — an eyelash

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